


Lights In Darkness

by OwlsWingFlying



Series: Rise of Wizardry: The Series [6]
Category: Brave (2012), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Trolls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 167,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26547913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlsWingFlying/pseuds/OwlsWingFlying
Summary: "You see, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event!" North began excitedly, his grin highlighting his rosy cheeks. "The Triwizard Tournament!" (The big four, Hogwarts AU, Sixth Year. Very Light Pairings!)
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Series: Rise of Wizardry: The Series [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924375
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	1. Life After Happily Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Year 6!  
> We've officially caught up Story-wise, so I'll be posting one chapter a day until we've caught up to where I'm at on FF.net and then it'll be once-a-week updates same time as FF.  
> WARNING!: This story is rated T for Teen Audiences Only. There will be blood, swearing, suggestive themes, violence, and graphic descriptions. Please be aware that some scenes may be too intense for a younger audience.

**Music:** "Life After Happily Ever After" from Tangled Before Ever After

 _NOTES:_ "Fear is a Disease, Hope is the only cure."

**Chapter 1: Life After Happily Ever After?**

The night sky burned a dark amber as the flames and heavy clouds of smoke filled the air. Screams and shouts rang across the field as people ran away in terror, slamming each other, trampling and scrambling for a way out of the chaos. Dark figures flew over head, snapping and lashing out at anyone unfortunate enough to end up in their paths. Bellowing commands echoed in her ears as the stone tied around her neck glowed with a faint light.

" _Jack, Sandy, get the fires under control! Everyone else, protect the people!"_

Everything was happening so fast, her lungs burned as she raced through the city of tents quickly burning to the ground. A cry brought her to a sudden stop, her head jerking to one side to see where the sound had come from, and her eyes found a pair of children huddled together in terror before a large black stallion.

Instinctively, she reached behind her for a handful of golden locks, but her hand only found air and a flash of panic shot through her whole being before a flicker of memory quickly followed, changing the direction of her hand. She grabbed her wand, her gaze drifting down to see where it was, but when she looked back up with her weapon at the ready, the Nightmare had already noticed her and switched from attacking the children to charging at her.

She fired off a spell, but the Nightmare skimmed around it and kept running at her, shoving her to the ground and the rearing up on its back legs. Her wand skittered out of her hand when she hit the ground and she looked up at the beast in horror. It was larger then any of the ones she'd seen before, and it's eyes burned the same color as the sky filled with fire. She threw her arms up in front of her as her last means of defense, but before the Nightmare could hurt her an arrow struck it's shoulder, sinking deep into the dark sand. The arrow started to glow with a red, fiery and the Nightmare started to fall to the side as it's sand form dissolved into dust with spark and ambers mixed within the cloud.

Her head snapped around and found a mass of red, curly hair rushing to her side, a trusty and familiar bow gripped in one hand. "Rapunzel, are you alright?" The archer cried, kneeling beside the brunette.

"I'm fine, thanks to you." Rapunzel offered a weak smile, before her eyes widened with realization and she turned, frantically searching for her wand. She found it laying in the grass a couple feet back and quickly picked it up, furious with herself for dropping it in the first place.

"Come on," The red-head called to her. "Stick close and we'll find the others."

"R-right!" Rapunzel nodded, hurrying to follow after the curly-haired warrior, but in the back of her mind there was something she couldn't identify nagging at her.

* * *

Green flames flickered around them as Jack, Merida, and Rapunzel walked out of the fireplace in North's office. It was a testament to their hard work and subsequent adjustments to becoming Guardians that they no longer stumbled when coming out of the Floo Network, and that once they were through they immediately went to find chairs, or in Jack's case a railing, to sit on as they waited for their debriefing meeting.

The Guardians followed right behind them, having noticed the gradual change occurring in their students, but not commenting on it. They all gathered around as North cleared his throat and looked at each one of them.

"Don't look so upset," North started, looking at the three younglings. Jack looked angry, though Rapunzel and Merida knew it was mostly due to frustration of Pitch's general getting away from them when they hadn't even gotten a decent look. Merida was in a similar place, but Rapunzel thought she looked more understanding and thoughtful, more miffed than anything else.

Rapunzel herself was feeling rather useless.

"North is right, you all did exceptionally well!" Toothiana encouraged them. "We got everyone out safe, there were some bad injuries, but no fatalities, and that's what really matters."

"But how are we supposed to find Pitch if we can't even catch one of his generals?" Jack wanted to know, hopping down from the railing and stuffing his free hand into hs sweater's pocket, his right hand loosely holding his staff.

"Patience, Jack." North told the boy calmly. "We will find Pitch in time. For now we must focus on protecting the people. If we can find out where Pitch plans to strike next, we can be there waiting for his forces."

"That was our plan with the Quidditch World Cup and they still got away." Merida pointed out, pursing her lips. "Seems to me things are escalating pretty quick. These attacks don't have any pattern to them! They're random and vicious, but Pitch hasn't gained any ground. What's the point?"

"Pitch isn't as strong as he was before, and he knows it. These random attacks spread fear and paranoia through the people simply because no one knows where he'll go next." Toothiana explained, and Merida brows lifted in curiosity.

"Pitch wants people to be afraid so he can feed off of their fear." Rapunzel confirmed as the Guardians nodded their affirmation. "That's his Nightmares are getting bigger, stronger, and faster."

"And smarter, too." Merida agreed, glaring down at the floor in thought.

"This is only the pre-show. Once he's built his strength back up, Pitch will launch a much larger scale attack to set off the fireworks. A high profile attack with the right amount of force will drive the Royal Council into action, and Pitch will get his war." Bunnymund told them, his expression grim and his arms crossed.

"That is why we must find Pitch first!" North announced in a determined and hopeful tone. "We will think of something, but for now; we rest, yeah? Big day tomorrow!" North wiggled his eyebrows at them and the mood lightened a little.

Tomorrow the other students would be returning from their summer breaks, and classes would begin that following Monday. While they had been named Guardians, albeit still training they were Guardians nonetheless, they were also still students and would be joining their classmates for their sixth year of school. It would mean less time with the Guardians, during investigations and on the battle field, but Rapunzel didn't think that was an entirely bad thing. It would give her more time to work on her dueling.

"Go and get yourselves cleaned up. Rest. We're all going to need our energy for the opening feast." North smiled giddily, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

The three students collectively gave him curious looks as they gathered themselves and started heading towards the doors. North and the Guardians had been conspiring over a surprise for the students at the opening feast and the only thing they'd been willing to tell their pupils was that Hogwarts was going to be having a few guests that year.

Knowing it was futile to ask any questions about the fast-approaching feast, Rapunzel walked out of North's office alongside Merida and Jack. They kept mostly silent until they had left the secret passage that let them out into the corridor, and then Jack broke the silence with an annoyed huff.

"Well, back to square one, I guess." He said, brow furrowed in thought as they walked toward the moving staircases.

"At least we were right about the Tournament being a target. Pitch's forces didn't even show up to the Arrendale Coronation." Merida pointed out.

"I still can't believe your cousin didn't know she was part Winter Sprite." Jack remarked, looking at Rapunzel with a smirk.

"I still can't believe you started flirting with her!" Rapunzel retorted with a playful glare, causing Merida to burst out laughing as Jack feigned outrage.

"Am I not allowed to show interest in a beautiful woman?" Jack questioned extravagantly, puffing his chest out and lifting his chin to imitate some of the stuffy nobles he'd made fun of at said coronation. Merida gave a big roll of her eyes, and Rapunzel chuckled, shaking her head at Jack as she wrinkled her nose in pretend dislike.

In truth, she didn't mind it at all. For one thing, she didn't think he was too serious about being interested in her cousin and his flirting and teasing could just be his way of making friends with another Winter Sprite. After all, Elsa's heritage came from a long way back in their line, so it had been a surprise when Jack was able to teach her to control her powers and explained that Sprite genes can remain dormant in a family for many generations. It shouldn't have been surprising, considering Emma herself was logically Half Winter Sprite, but carried no traits or abilities whatsoever. The second reason she didn't mind was because Jack was her friend, and him being family would be fun.

The third reason, though, was probably the most prominent because it wasn't Jack being interested in her family member that had surprised her, it was that Jack had _flirted_ with someone. It had been a very long time since Rapunzel had seen that familiar mischievous look in his eyes, and though it wasn't very strong, only a spark, it was still there. It filled her with hope and excitement that Jack was starting to find himself again. She knew how hard the past few years had been on him, and the fact that he had felt playful and charming for even a moment had been a huge step for him.

"You know, even if the mission wasn't as successful as we hoped, we still got to see The Quidditch World Cup!" Merida grinned widely as the three reached the tops of the stairs, their chuckles fading, and Jack grinned right back at her.

"The Archipelago Barbarians against the Syracuse Stymphalians! Had to be one of the most intense games I ever saw!" Jack said excitedly. "Hroar has to be the best Seeker in the entire league!"

"But the Stymphalians pulled off a win of One-seventy to One-sixty after being brutalized in the first half! You can't say that wasn't incredible!" Merida returned with her assessment.

"Maybe, but Hroar still caught the snitch to end the game on his terms! And just as the time ran out!" Jack insisted, and Rapunzel rolled her eyes at the two.

"I think you're in love, Jack!" Rapunzel interjected with a dreamy tone, batting her lashes.

"Oh, shut up!" Jack replied good-naturedly, as Merida snorted and snickered at him.

"Princess!" Rapunzel's laughter faded to an understanding smile as she looked down to the bottom of the stairs where a girl in a light blue dress and white headdress waited for her. Reaching the other girl, Rapunzel turned to her friends who were already nodding their understanding.

"Well, I'm off to fix up my arrows!" Merida announced, gesturing to her bow. "Those fire-arrow spells Toothiana has been teaching me are working pretty well, but they could still use some work."

"I'll see you both later, I'm going to stop by the Auror's Office and give them the official reports from the Tournament battle." Jack told them.

Rapunzel waved to them as they walked away, letting the girl pull her off down the corridor. Cassandra was her Lady-in-Waiting and also one of the many changes to Rapunzel's life over the summer. Her parents hadn't been too thrilled with the idea of their precious daughter being a Guardian and going off to fight in dangerous battles, especially after hearing about how Gothel and Pitch had targeted her, resulting in the cutting of her hair. To appease the two royals and help them adjust to the idea, the Guardians agreed that Rapunzel could use the Floo System to travel between Corona and Hogwarts, attending to her duties as Princess and as a Guardian. Her father had agreed, but only if Cassandra, the sensible and responsible daughter of the Caption of the Guard at the palace, acted as an escort. So Cassandra traveled with Rapunzel everywhere, kept her on schedule, and sometimes would help with her combat training though that was done in secret because Cassandra would've gotten in trouble with her dad if he found out. And, because Cassandra was a Muggle, she couldn't help Rapunzel with her dueling, only physical combat, which Rapunzel had a very different approach to than Cass.

Today, though, was strictly Princess Duties, and Cassandra led Rapunzel straight to the teacher's lounge so they could cross through the Floo Network into Corona Palace. As soon as Rapunzel stepped foot into her bedroom, three maids fell upon her, intent on getting her cleaned and made up for a meeting with the King, her father. Ashes and soot was replaced by soaps and perfumes, and Rapunzel removed her shirt, vest, belts, and riding skirts to exchange them for her purple dress and corset, refusing the heels when offered by the maids and opting for barefeet as always.

Jack liked barefeet because his feet felt too hot in shoes and he liked being able to spread ice and frost through his feet easily. Rapunzel liked barefeet because she loved the feel of nature; grass and dirt and stone, though she couldn't claim immunity to the cold like Jack and kept winter boots for herself at the ready.

As Cassandra was looking over the schedule for the day, the maids moved on to powdering and make up. Rapunzel gasped as her corset was tightened just a little too tightly. She tried to keep still and not fidget too much so that the women could do their jobs, but their bustling and fussing was overwhelming and Rapunzel was still exhausted from the fight which had kept them out all night despite having found a few moments to nap at the Ministry of Magic as North and Bunny had discussed details with Claude Frollo.

Cass seemed to notice this and smiled sympathetically as she quickly jumped in. "That's enough! I'll take it from here." Cass told the maids, dismissing them, and finished tying Rapunzel's corset a little looser as the maids left. "How you holdin' up?"

"Busy, Heh," Rapunzel huffed out, forcing a smile. "But busy's good!" Tucking some hair back behind her ear to hide the fact that she had been reaching for a long lock to pull at to soothe her nerves.

"I'm glad you think so, Raps, because you've got a full day ahead of you." Cass informed her, straightening out her sleeves for her. "You've got a meeting with the King in a few minutes, then there are several congratulations and well wishing letters you'll need to approve and sign to be sent out to several royals for birthdays, baby announcements, and your cousin's coronation. There's a garden party with the court ladies this afternoon which is followed by a knighting ceremony this evening. And that's all before we need to get you back to Hogwarts for tomorrow. The King is expecting you to be active in attending as many Royal events as possible. Now that Arrendale has crowned their princess as Queen, people are going to start looking at your behavior and wondering how you'll be as ruler one day."

"Believe me Cassandra, I know." Rapunzel smiled weakly at the other girl, taking her hands in hers reassuringly. "I know how important this is to my dad."

"And the boy?" Cassandra raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her, making Rapunzel wince slightly before smiling again.

"What about Jack?" Rapunzel feigned ignorance under Cass's scrutiny, hoping she wouldn't press any farther.

"He has a record, Rapunzel. You're going to have to tell your parents about him sooner or later, and if I were you, I'd tell them before the Daily Prophet finds out first." Cassandra said warningly, and Rapunzel sighed, knowing she was right.

"Look, things have just been a little stressful lately! The whole Guardians thing and all that! I'll tell my parents about Eugene when things have settled down a bit. And besides, Eugene and I are just friends right now, so there's nothing to tell!" Rapunzel nervously brushed it aside, and Cassandra looked doubtful, but let the subject drop.

Rapunzel wasn't ashamed of Eugene in the slightest. He was a good friend who had saved her life and they'd recently been getting closer. He stayed at Hogwarts over the break, working for Professor Crood to keep the grounds, and whenever they both found themselves with a spare moment they usually spent it together. Rapunzel knew that they both had feelings beyond normal friendship, but they'd yet to bring up any labels. For now they were happy just to spend time together.

She just hoped that when there was something to tell, it wouldn't blow up in her face.

* * *

Rapunzel yawned as the last of the first-years was Sorted into Gryffindor with excited cheers from the table of red and gold. Despite receiving an entire night of sleep in her Palace bedroom the night before, she still felt tired.

"Are you okay, Rapunzel? You look a little worn out..." Fishlegs asked from across the table, his face showing concern for his fellow Sixth-year Hufflepuff Prefect. They'd gotten to know each other a little better since they both received Prefect status last year and also through the Dueling Club which they were both still members of.

"Oh, yeah! I'm just feeling a little tired, that's all! I'm sure after some food I'll be wide awake!" She assured him kindly, and Fishlegs smiled, nodding in understanding at the need of food.

"Now, I would like to make a few announcements!" North interrupted the chatter of the Great Hall, bringing everyone's attention to him. "This year, Mr. Crood and our old friend Gobber the Belch will be offering physical combat training for anyone wishing to participate that is of their Fourth Year of education or higher. Fighting and Weapons Use will Only be permitted under the strict supervision of an instructor! Also, Dr. Sweet is available in the Hospital Wing to those of you who may wish to receive training in the art of healing. There are no age restrictions upon Healing lessons."

Though most of the students were shocked and murmured about these things excitedly and worriedly, Rapunzel wasn't surprised. The Guardians had told them they'd be offering training to the older students, and Dr. Sweet had already approached her about helping to train new healers.

"Finally, I would like to announce that Hogwarts will not be only your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well! You see, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event!" North began excitedly, his grin highlighting his rosy cheeks. "The Triwizard Tournament! Now, for those of you who do not know, the Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools to compete against each other in a series of magical contests."

Excitement burst through the room and an uproar of murmurings and elated shouts went up as everyone wondered in awe at the idea of this Tournament. North was still smiling and allowed them to gossip for a little longer before signaling for silence as he continued a little more soberly.

"For each school a single student is selected to compete. Let me be clear: If chosen, You Stand Alone." North's voice took on an edge that cut through the silence like a knife, serious and warning. "Trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint-hearted... But, more on that later, for now; Please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of Bueaxbatons Academy of Magic and their Headmistress, Madame Hera Juno!" As North motioned to the double doors of the Great Hall they opened and revealed a group of girls dressed in silk, blue uniforms and walking together primly in a group.

They ran elegantly down the center aisle, pausing a few times to sigh and reach an up-turned arm in greeting to the students, first on their right, then on their left. When they reached the dais they opened their arms and at least a dozen butterflies fluttered into the air from each of them. As the girls lined up in front of the dais, a very tall woman dressed in a glittering pink gown walked down the aisle behind Queen Elsa of Arrendale, dressed in her icy blue dress, and her sister Princess Anna in her school uniform. Two older women walked behind the woman who Rapunzel assumed was Hera, and the Corona Princess guessed they were teachers from Bueaxbatons. When Elsa reached the end of the aisle, she finished the ladies' performance by shooting a curly, beautiful blast of ice in the air. She and Anna bowed as Hera stepped up onto the dais to join North, and Rapunzel cheered loudly along with all of the Hogwarts students.

North kissed Hera's hand in greeting and then turned to the students again to motion for silence. "Now, our friends from the north, please greet the Proud Sons of Durmstrang! And their Highmaster Varvatos Vex!"

This time the doors were already open and the group of men entered with long strides and an intent purpose on their expressions. They beat their staffs on the stone floor in a rhythmic tune, performing a short but impressive staff dance before dropping them and racing forward. One of the students performed flips and rolls as two others formed a phoenix out of fire with their wands. A gigantic man came stalking in after them with three older men and Hroar of the Archipelago beside him, and a group of younger boys hurrying in behind them in strict formation.

"Oh, gods, it's him! Hroar of Knaff! The famous Seeker!" Fishlegs gushed quietly as the large, muscled boy strode passed all of the students around him. Rapunzel's gaze was drawn more toward the nervous-looking younger boys who were obviously trying very hard not to screw anything up, and she felt for them. There was one towards the back who looked especially nervous and awkward, and his scrawny stature had Rapunzel wondering how he managed being in a school full of warriors and barbarians.

She shook her head and refocused her attention on the official proceedings as North and Varvatos Vex exchanged firm and hardy hugs. Following their greetings was the shuffling of making room in the already packed hall for the two other schools. After they all managed to get settled, the feast was presented and the teachers talked quietly on the dais as the students ate. The children from Hogwarts glanced continuously at the newcomers in their curiosity, and the newcomers looked about the Great Hall in curiosity and amazement over the enchanted sky and floating candles and grand architecture, which made Rapunzel feel a spark of satisfaction. Despite being from other schools of magic, Hogwarts could still take their breaths away, and rightfully so.

A little ways into the feast, Mr. Crood and four Yetis came into the Hall, carrying a tall pillar of gold. Everyone watched eagerly as they set it up on a separate platform in the center of the room, and North slowly walked over to stand beside it as Mr. Crood and the Yetis left.

"I'd like to say a few words," The Deputy Headmaster declared as he rested a hand on the gold pillar. "Eternal Glory. That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament, but to do this that student must survive four tasks. Four extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain this, we welcome Lady Tremaine," North said, stepping aside to let the horrid woman forward to speak.

She cleared her throat daintily and began. "After due consideration the Ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student under the age of fifteen should be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament. This decision is Final." Before all of the words had even left her mouth their was immediate yelling and protests from the younger students. Because the yelling would not cease, North finally was forced to step forward and order silence, effectively getting the students to behave once again, though grudgingly.

Deciding to move on with the goings on, North produced his wand and opened the pillar, turning it in a pedestal with a large goblet on top that was filled with a blue fire.

"The Goblet of Fire!" North said to them, standing beside the burning chalice. "Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament; merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly! If chosen, there's no turning back. As of this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."

Rapunzel's eyes drifted back to the blue flame of the Goblet as North returned to his seat and the other students started chattering about the Tournament. She didn't know what, but something she couldn't name had settled uncomfortably in her heart since the feast began. This was supposed to be exciting, wasn't it? Wizards and Witches from other schools! A Tournament for eternal glory! She was a Guardian and a Princess with important duties, lots of friends, and a school that she loved. Her life was mostly perfect. She should be excited for everything that was happening and gossiping about who she thought the Hogwarts champion would be with her friends. But she couldn't shake this strange feeling inside of her.

She took a deep breath to steel herself, pushing the bad feelings away. Everything would be fine! They were all growing up and finding their paths, and these last two years at Hogwarts were no doubt going to be some of the most important moments of her life! She should focus on enjoying every good thing while she had the chance... Still a small part of her kept whispering doubt.

_"Is this really Happily Ever After, after all?"_


	2. Anything I'm Not

**Music:** "Anything I'm Not" by Lenka

_NOTES: "I know a little of what that's like, to have every door shut in your face."_

**Chapter 2: Anything I'm Not**

The echo of typewriters clicking and dinging repetitively resonated through the office accompanied by the white noise of multiple conversations, shuffling papers, and fast footsteps as everyone hurried along their work. Younger boys like Gustav, Jamie, and Hiro trailed on the heels of different Auror Investigators, helping and performing any tasks requested of them.

Emma Frost puffed out a breath from her lower lip to blow a loose strand of her wild hair out of her face. She stuffed the top onto a filing box before heaving it off of the table and then carried it toward the back rooms where all the filing happened.

It had been two days since the opening feast and the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament. Classes had started easily enough and Emma had jumped at the application for working in the Auror's Office. Despite their reluctance to accept her application, Emma had been persistent in pointing out that she met all of the requirements for the part-time job and showing up for work whenever her schedule allowed it. Though, the work was much... different than what she had thought it would be. When she applied for the position, she had assumed that she would be given the same kind of training as the boys; working closely under an Auror duo to gather information and investigate evidence found on the field.

Reality hit hard when Chief Bogo had assigned her to filing duty and coffee making.

The box made a satisfyingly loud thump when Emma placed it, perhaps a bit roughly, on the small desk at the back of the filing room. It was a small, crowded, stuffy, and badly lit room with six large shelves overflowing with case files. Chief Bogo had informed her that the whole room needed organizing because there were Hogwarts case files from almost the very beginning of the school and if they were going to work efficiently they needed to remove unneeded files and organize ones that were relevant. But Emma wasn't stupid. She knew organizing the filing room was just an excuse to get her out of the way.

The only positivity she'd found was that hardly anyone else ever came into the room, so it was always quiet and peaceful.

The Auror's Office was one of the many changes that had been waiting for them upon the students' return to Hogwarts. Along with Lady Tremaine's continued etiquette classes, the Auror's Office was a way of having the Guardians and the Ministry work together in their efforts of tracking down Pitch. Because the Auror's worked mostly independently of Claude Frollo and other politicians, only receiving funding from the Ministry of Magic as an Institution, the Guardians had agreed to allow them to set up an Office in Hogwarts. A neutral party acting as the compromise between two powerful leaders of the known world.

It also acted as the compromise for younger students who were barred from combat training. Younger boys were being recruited to receive training within the office in the hopes of teaching them investigation skills, battle strategy, and intel gathering. Because of the Ministry's influence, namely Lady Tremaine, not even a handful of girls had shown interest in such things, and those who did were encouraged toward the Hospital Wing to learn from Rapunzel and Dr. Sweet. It was the reason why Emma was the only female who signed up to work within the Auror's Office. Her peers thought it was all fun and the idea of the work made them feel important. They didn't want to be left out of the fighting because the older students, their roles models and, in some cases, idols, were enhancing their skills. Training.

But Emma knew better. This was no game. The Ministry and the Guardians were preparing them for War.

If things escalated and they couldn't stop Pitch before the worst happened, they were going to need a contingency plan: people to fight against an Army of Darkness. The older students would be sent into battle with the adult warriors, and with any luck the younger boys would act as intelligence gatherers and Ministry Agents to take care of smaller missions while the heavy fighting happened on the front lines. Because of Lady Tremaine's influence and suggestions to the Prime Minister, the younger girls would fill the healer positions at the school and Ministry while trained medics like Sweet and Rapunzel would be sent into the field with their respective units.

Emma wasn't going to stay behind, though. Healing was important in it's own right, and medics would always be needed, but she'd already learned the basics of healing. Rapunzel had taught her a few things the year before during Dueling Club and it didn't take long for them to discover that Emma's magic just wasn't compatible with healing spells. She could manage well enough, but the girl didn't have a natural talent toward it like she did Transfiguration or Defense Against the Dark Arts.

As Emma dragged another box off of the shelf the bell tolled in the distance, and she could have groaned with dread. She put the box on the floor and patted out the skirt of her school uniform, walking towards the door. Reaching the office entrance, she grabbed the pen on a string that was attached to the clipboard hung on the wall next to the door and filled out her time stamp to indicate she was leaving for class. Though it was debatable whether her superiors really cared about her hours or not.

As she exited the office into the corridor, she saw the boys grouped together and talking as they prepared to go to class. Emma closed her eyes and drew in a tight breath as she hurried passed in the hopes of going unnoticed, but she was not so lucky. Jamie Bennett spotted her and quickly split from the group to catch up with her.

"Emma!" He called out as he slowed only slightly to match her quick pace. "Whoa, what's the hurry? It's not like you're late or anything."

"I just figure the sooner I get there the sooner I can leave." Emma replied, not looking over at him.

If Jamie had shown interest in being friendly during their first year, she probably would've considered him a friend pretty quickly, but that wasn't the case. Emma was the odd one out in her class and the only people she'd really consider friends were Venellope and Cupcake. Jamie only started noticing her existence during last year when they'd both joined the Secret Dueling Club. He was in awe of her brother, ever the loyal disciple of Jack Frost, and somehow came to the conclusion that while Jack was busy with his Guardian duties it was his responsibility to look after her.

"Well, I hope the work Chief Bogo gave you isn't too hard. You know if you ever need a break, you can just ask. I'm sure the Chief wouldn't mind!" Jamie went on, but Emma was only half listening, nodding along as her mind went to her notebook and the information she kept hidden in it.

Jamie kept prattling on about something, not noticing that Emma's attention had become completely distracted as she looked down the hall to see Professor Bunnymund and Captain Amelia talking to each other. Captain Amelia handed the Guardian of Hope a folder and he looked briefly at the contents before returning his gaze to her and continuing their conversation.

"Professor!" Emma called out to him, excitement running through her as she ran to catch up with Bunnymund, leaving Jamie behind, stunned and confused.

"Emma?" Bunny questioned as the girl trotted to a stop beside the two teachers, smiling at the Pooka. "I'm sorry, tyke, I haven't got the time to talk right now." He told her, looking torn between speaking to one of his students and handling whatever the contents of the folder was.

"I know, sir! I'm sorry! But if you could just give me a few minutes, -" Emma tried, but Captain Amelia shook her head.

"We have some time sensitive intelligence, Miss Frost. Whatever it is, I'm afraid it's going to have to wait." The Captain gave Bunnymund a pointed look and he nodded knowingly.

"But I just wanted to ask about train-!" Emma tried again, but Bunnymund cut in.

"I know you want to help, Emma, and it's admirable. But we just can't offer you anything right now." Bunnymund explained to her as he and Captain Amelia started walking toward the Auror's Office. "You're just too young."

"But I -!" Emma started one last feeble attempt at gaining their attention, but the two teachers were already well on their way without looking back. She huffed a heavy sigh in her frustration. "Too young? Or did mean 'too fragile'?" She muttered bitterly.

After a moment she shook off the nasty feeling and refocused on her surroundings. Jamie had disappeared, probably noticing what time it was and heading off to class. As the bell tolled a second time, Emma realized just how late she was and whipped around, racing down the corridor. She got to the proper classroom three minutes late, her uniform rumpled and her hair even messier then usual from her running, and the moment she walked in the room a dark shadow fell over her.

"Miss Frost!" A sharp, piercing voice harped, making Emma cringe and slowly turn to find Lady Tremaine standing behind her. "If you are going to be late for your etiquette lessons, at least enter with some form of decorum!" The older woman snapped, her lip curling at Emma's less-than-ideal appearance. The pink-clad teacher use her fluffy, pink-feathered fan to point to an open seat at one of the round Tea Tables, and Emma's shoulders slumped slightly.

The only open seat left was with the most proper lady in her year: Pippa Dine. Along with her was her friends Margo Gru and Riley Anderson. As Emma walked over to join the girls by taking the last remaining seat at the table, she came to the unfortunate conclusion that these would be their seats for the rest of the year.

Emma had nothing against the girls personally, they were decent enough. It was simply that they had different views on the world. They were perfect Ladies, and Emma was more of a... Free Spirit. Lady Tremaine disliked her, and sitting next to some of the Ministry Woman's favorite students would do nothing to lessen the appearance of all Emma's mistakes and short-comings. In fact, every one would be highlighted because of the side-by-side comparison. Though she supposed avoiding that would've been near impossible this year with the Ladies of Beauxbatons Academy joining them. Those girls had been doing the etiquette thing since their first day.

As everyone was finally settled into their seats, Lady Tremaine began her lecture on the importance of table manners and reviewing the lessons from the previous year about posture and what forks to use and all such things.

Emma quickly got bored with the topic and found herself glancing at her bag every other moment, longing to get her notebook and pour over fine details that could be the uncovering of a mystery. After resisting the urge for about ten minutes, she caved. She tilted slightly to the side, awkwardly reaching down as she strained her neck upward to keep the appearance of sitting upright. It took a few seconds, but she eventually managed to get her notebook out of her bag by using her foot to kick it into her hand.

She flipped the book open to somewhere in the first half of the pages and found a multitude of sketches; red and white roses, intricate teacups, a cat with a wide grin. After a second long pause, the sketches became wavy and slowly faded to reveal a dense amount of writing and scribbles, some of it circled with lines connecting it to other text or side notes. It was a mess of writing that wouldn't make much sense to anyone else, but to Emma it was a physical copy of what was going on inside her head. She quickly lost herself in the notes and sketches that made up the code of her brain, losing track of Lady Tremaine's lecture as her subconscious tuned it out. Emma was certain that if she could come up with some substantial information then the Guardians and the Auror Agents would have to recognize her investigative skills. They'd all see her as more than just 'Jack's odd little sister'. She just had to get something important enough that it could turn the fight with Pitch Black and possibly avoid a War.

Allowing herself to become completely absorbed in her personal, top secret investigations in the middle of a class that was taught by an overbearing harridan was probably not the best idea, however. Emma didn't notice Lady Tremaine circling tables until it was too late and she was already standing over her.

"Coming in late. Ignoring your lessons. Drawing silly doodles in your notebook." Lady Tremaine listed as she glowered down at Emma and the offending notebook in her lap. Luckily, the old crone could only see the sketches and not the real notes and drawings hidden underneath thanks to an enchantment Emma had discovered while reading at the library. "Your behavior is unacceptable, young lady! How do you expect to become a proper woman of high society with your head in the clouds?" Lady Tremaine questioned her.

"Well, ma'am, I'm not sure how much higher you can get than the clouds. Go to high and you'll run out of air." Emma replied with a weak shrug.

"Detention, Miss Frost!" Apparently that was not what Lady Tremaine wanted to hear.

"But it's only the first week!" Emma argued, knowing that any of the other teachers would have let it go during the first few days of the year.

"A Lady does not argue!" Lady Tremaine proclaimed, turning away from Emma and walking back to the front of the class before turning to face all of the girls seated before her. "I want you all to take note of this; a Lady is Nothing without Etiquette."

* * *

Emma didn't argue after that, sitting quietly through the rest of the class. The other girls at her table ignored her for the most part, and she was happy for it. Silence was easy. As soon as the bell tolled in the distance, signaling the end of the class, Emma was out of her chair and rushing towards the door. She vaguely heard something behind her about 'ladies never running', but she pretended not to hear as she escaped into the corridor.

"Well, that went well!" The familiar cackle on her right had Emma rolling her eyes as she thought about the detention she'd received on her first day of etiquette. "That has to be a new record!"

Venellope Von Schweetz was a third-year, like Emma, but placed in Slytherin. She was quirky and rebellious with a mischievous smile that could rival Jack's. She was also a good friend to Emma and accepting of her strangeness.

Cupcake Hunter appeared quietly on Emma's left, walking close to them. She was a large girl, standing taller than any of the boys in their year and having enough strength to break them in two if she wanted. She looked angry most of the time and a lot of third-years were afraid of her, but in truth Cupcake's intimidating appearance was quite false. She was quiet and tough, but was actually very gentle and caring once one got to know her. Her Hufflepuff Sorting was fitting, despite most people's confusion about it, and Emma thought that Cupcake gave some of the best hugs.

"I can't believe she actually gave me detention." Emma grumbled, scuffing her foot against the stone floor to physicalize her frustration a little.

"Oh, come on! It's just one afternoon! Besides, you should've been more careful if you were gonna zone out during class." Venellope teased, and Emma rolled her eyes again, but this time it was softened by a smile.

"Shut up!" The young Ravenclaw gave the other girl a gentle shove as they all laughed together.

"Sorry you're stuck sitting with Pippa and her friends. Lady Tremaine wouldn't let us save seats." Cupcake muttered, her expression looking angry, but Emma knew from the look in her eyes it was really concern.

"Don't worry, Cupcake. I think the old cow would've put me in the front no matter what. She doesn't like me much." Emma assured her friend, and Venellope laughed.

"That's an understatement! I thought she was gonna turn purple when you sassed her earlier!" The tiny Slytherin howled with laughter as they continued down the hall.

Eventually, Emma split from her friends to go to Transfiguration class with Gryffindor. Upon entering Sandy's classroom, Emma hurried to the first open seat near the front, excitedly setting up her things as class began. Transfiguration was her best subject. She excelled in the art of changing and illusions, which she found very fun, though it was still rather difficult to find practical uses for such skills in the field of investigation. Despite that, she enjoyed being able to use her talents, even if the entire class was only review of last year.

Needless to say, Sandman's first day of class was laid-back and fun, if a bit short. Emma left feeling much better than when she left her etiquette class, and she considered where she should go from there. She had two thoughts; she could either go to the library and do some studying or reading, or she could go back to the office and continue filing old case files. She decided that the office would be closing in about an hour and the library would be more fun anyways, so she started off toward the school's source of books.

She hummed a light tune as she skipped along one of the corridor's with giant, floor to ceiling windows, enjoying the late afternoon sun that poured in through the glass. She slowed to a stop, however, as she saw two boy's standing in front of the library's entrance, looking at a piece of parchment with a lot of confusion on their faces. They were from Durmstrang, Emma could see by their uniforms, but they were some of the younger boys who were far less intimidating than the staff wielders at the opening feast.

"How did we end up back here?" The taller of the two questioned as he turned the paper this way and that to try and read what Emma assumed was a map.

"This place is so weird! I swear the hallways change!" The shorter, more rounded one exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. Emma couldn't help but laugh a little, but it seemed she'd done it a bit too loud as the two boys looked up at her in surprise. She cleared her throat to cover the laughter and then smiled at them.

"Are you lost?" She asked, though she was pretty certain she already knew the answer.

"Can you help? We've been trying to find our dorms since we got out of class an hour ago." The taller of the two informed her, handing over the parchment, which Emma stepped forward and took from him.

"Well, looks like you need to go up a few floors! You'll be staying near the base of Gryffindor tower. I can show you to the stairs. Follow me!" Emma said after looking over the roughly drawn map and swept passed the two boys to take the lead. They looked at each other and then hurried to follow her. "I'm Emma, by the way."

"I'm Jim, and this is my best friend Toby," The taller boy introduced himself and then gestured to the other boy.

"Pleasure to meet you, I see you're a Hogwarts gal, huh?" Toby asked, raising an eyebrow at her after glancing at her robes.

"That I am, and you're from Durmstrang." She replied easily, which made Toby grin and elbow Jim a little.

"She's a quick one!" He murmured, and Jim shook his head, smiling at his shorter friend.

"Thanks for helping us." Jim said to her, and Emma smiled back at him.

"It's really no trouble. I was just going to go read until dinner." Emma waved it off. "And don't feel bad about getting lost, everyone here spent their entire first year just learning how to get from one place to another."

"I don't blame them, this place is crazy!" Jim responded, his eyes traveling upward in awe of the grand architecture of the castle. Emma wasn't really sure what else to say, so she stayed silent until Jim looked at her and continued the conversation. "Hogwarts has different, uh, groups? Or teams, right? Which one are you?"

"Mm? Oh! You mean Houses! Yeah, we each get Sorted into a different House before the opening feast of our first year. I'm in Ravenclaw." Emma explained, and Jim looked intrigued while Toby looked confused.

"What does that mean?" Toby wanted to know, and Emma chuckled.

"Ravenclaw is the House of Wisdom and Creativity. So there's a lot of smart and artsy people in our House." She shrugged, unsure of how else to describe Ravenclaw. "Here we are!" She smiled, looking up at the main stairs outside of the Great Hall.

"That was so fast!" Toby gasped in shock, looking around as if trying to figure out how they got there so quickly.

"I told you, first year is all about learning how to get around. You'll get used to it." Emma assured them. "Oh, but do keep an eye on the stairs, they tend to change!" She warned them as she started off back towards the library.

"Hey, wait!" Jim called out weakly, and Emma looked back at him, raising her eyebrows curiously. "Oh, um, thanks for helping us." He said, and Emma smiled.

"No problem! I'll see you around!"

* * *

_Sunlight filtered through the trees as the river carried the small lily-pad raft gently along it's current. She sipped from her tea cup, enjoying the warm and sweet beverage in the company of her old friend. His ears flopped to one side as he regarded her curiously, and she smiled at him in gentle confusion._

_"Is something wrong, Rabbit?" She asked, but his expression remained dull and blank as he began to twitch._

_"Something wrong? Rather..." Rabbit's voice became strained as red liquid began to ooze out of the corner of his mouth, his ears, his eyes, staining his white fur. "You've been gone too long, Emma!"_

_"Rabbit!" She cried, but Rabbit was gone and so was the forest. Her raft rocked unsteadily on a grey-blue sea that was quickly turning an inky black as dark, red and fleshy tentacles curled out of the depths all around her, grabbing hold of her. She struggled against their pulling, but the tentacles just kept growing in number._

_There was a mountain of warring people, fighting and killing, as fire raised up behind them with a throne. A monster of the same flesh and tentacles was seated there with a crown as the foul smelling blood and sticky black pollution continued to spread, destroying everything in its path. She screamed as the tentacles pulled her down into the ocean of darkness, her sight immediately lost as she was submerged in the decay._

_A few bubbles rose upward as she was pulled deeper and deeper into the darkness..._

Emma's eyes shot open as she lay in her bed in Ravenclaw tower, gasping for breath as her body suddenly realized she wasn't drowning. It was late and it was dark, the only light being that of the full moon which filtered in from the window across from her bed. She was still panting heavily as she slowly sat up in bed, her eyes wide and her heart hammering in her chest. Her hand came up and gripped her night gown in a tight fist over her heart as her one thought slipped out as a near silent whisper.

"What's happened to Wonderland?"


	3. Wind In My Hair

**Music:** "Wind in my Hair" and Reprise by Mandy Moore

_NOTES: "Plus Est En Vous"_

**Chapter 3: Wind In My Hair**

The Great Hall was dimly lit with the soft, muted glow of hot coals in the torch holders on the walls and the almost eerie blue light of the Goblet of Fire. Rapunzel was perched on one of the upper seats of one of the raked benches lining the edges of the hall, a book on medical herbology in her lap as she carefully flipped through the pages. The Great Hall probably wasn't the best place in the school to be getting studying done in that moment, but Merida had convinced Jack to put his name in the Goblet with her and Rapunzel had decided to tag along. Emma sat on the bottom bench a few steps down from Rapunzel, silently pouring over her notebook in a way that made Rapunzel chuckle quietly.

A small crowd was lounging about the Great Hall, chattering and gossiping, and whenever someone dropped their parchment into the fire the gathered students would cheer and clap. Rapunzel hadn't put much effort into keeping track of who put their name in, but she was aware that some of the names in the Goblet were Thuggory from Durmstrang, Camicazi, Macintosh, Daren Fouls, and Collette Tatou from Beauxbatons. She was certain there was more, but she wasn't sure who and didn't think too much of trying to figure it out.

"Hey there, Sunshine!" A small bundle of flowers appeared in front of Rapunzel from behind her and she looked up in surprise as Eugene smiled down at her. "Might I say that you are looking quite ravishing today!" He grinned with his signature smolder, and Rapunzel laughed as she accepted the modest bouquet.

"Eugene! They're lovely!" She replied as she closed her book and turned to face Eugene as he sat down beside her.

"Awww, look, they're doing that thing again," Jack cooed teasingly from the bottom of the benches, only half turned toward them. A wide smirk was spread across his face, and Merida, who had been looking at the Goblet of Fire, turned around to see what Jack was talking about before a grin slid onto her face as well.

"I swear, didn't you just give her a chocolate frog yesterday?" Merida questioned playfully, planting her hands on her hips. Eugene blushed slightly and pouted at them, but Rapunzel giggled. Her dear friends had a lot of fun teasing them, especially Eugene as his reputation proceeded to keep him as the Devilish-Rogue-Slytherin.

"Alright, alright! What are you two even doing here? Shouldn't you be off training with North and Toothiana?" Eugene wanted to know, changing the subject as he managed to control his blush a little.

"We've got the first week of classes off to adjust to the new schedules. Besides, the teachers are busy making sure the Durmstrang and Bueaxbatons guests are taken care of." Merida answered easily, waving her hand in the air. "Anyways, I finally got Jack to put his name in!"

"Well, I guess that's good. You or Jack would make a good champion for Hogwarts." Eugene admitted, crossing his arms thoughtfully as his gaze drifted up to the flaming cup.

"What about you? Did you put your name in?" Jack asked him, and Eugene shook his head with a sly little smile.

"Eternal Glory sounds great and all, but the whole Champion Hero thing isn't really my style." He said, uncrossing his arms and leaning back on his hands.

"Eternal Glory, really would be brilliant, wouldn't it?" Merida wondered out loud as she looked back at the Goblet.

"Yeah, better one of you than me." They all looked up to find Wasabi and the other Ravenclaw Quidditch players walking over to join them. They all carried a small folder of papers that made Rapunzel's eyes widen slightly.

"You all just came from the Auror's Office?" Rapunzel inquired as some of them climbed the benches to sit and others stood.

"If we all put in our applications together there's a higher chance we'll be placed in the same unit after graduation." Tadashi explained, tucking his folder into his bag.

"So you're all decided then?" Jack confirmed with his brow slightly furrowed as he received nods and affirmative grunts.

The older students knew that the combat and healing lessons weren't just for fun or to test their abilities. Most everyone knew that they were preparing for the worst regarding the situation with Pitch Black and that units of soldiers were already being formed and sent out to protect larger towns and cities from the random attacks. Many of their friends had made clear their intentions to join the war effort after graduation at the end of the year. Eep, Camicazi, and Kristoff had also gotten their application papers already, and Rapunzel couldn't deny that the idea of all her friends going to war scared and worried her.

Before anyone could make further comment, loud cheers went up as several of the third-year boys ran into the room, whooping and cheering. Rapunzel looked at her friends in confusion, but they met her glances with an equal amount of confusion. Suddenly, Caleb and Claude Waltz stepped out from among the gaggle of boys, holding vials of some kind of potion in the hands.

"Well, lads, we've done it!" Gustav announced to the gathered students of all three schools.

"Cooked it up just this morning!" Jamie added as the group of boys patted each other on their backs and grinned widely.

"Oh, no." Wasabi sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"This is gonna be great." Jim beamed wickedly at the sight of the younger boys crowing about and puffing their chests.

"What's going on?" Honey Lemon wanted to know, looking on curiously.

"Some of the third-year boys got this bright idea to try an aging potion to get their names in the Goblet." Gogo rolled her eyes at the scene before her, not impressed by the third-years at all.

"How come we didn't think of that?" Tuffnut wondered as he turned to look at his sister, having drawn closer along with everyone else in the room when the commotion started. Ruffnut shrugged, shaking her head uncertainly.

"Ugh! You two are old enough to enter, you muttonheads! You already put your names in!" Snotlout exclaimed, annoyed by the twins lack of attention to detail.

"Oh, yeah!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut grinned as they all turned back to look on at the trouble brewing in front of them.

"We give you the floor, my friends!" Antonio smirked as he bowed out of the way for Claude and Caleb.

"It's not going to wooork!" Emma said in a very sing-songy fashion from her perch at the bottom of the benches.

"Oh, yeah?" Caleb asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"And why's that?" Claude demanded cockily, not seeing the flaws in their plan.

"You see that?" Emma replied, nodding toward the foggy ring that floated around the Goblet and pedestal. "That's an age line. Professor Sandman drew it himself."

"So?" Gustav snorted, shrugging as if that meant nothing at all.

" _So_ , a genius _Sorcerer_ like Professor Sandy couldn't possibly be fooled by a thought as pathetically dimwitted as an aging potion." Emma retorted with a dry expression, but her sound logic didn't seem to land with her year-mates.

"But that's what makes it so brilliant! That it's so completely dimwitted!" Gustav argued proudly.

" _And_ , let's not forget, I personally brewed it." Hiro told her, lifting his chin. Tadashi sighed heavily, dropping his head into his open palm.

Caleb and Claude didn't seem interested in waiting any longer and jumped up onto the bench next to the age line. "Ready, Caleb?" Claude asked as they shook the vials. "Ready, Claude!" Caleb replied as they popped the tops off. "Bottoms up!" They said in unison and linked their arms as they took the full vial in one gulp. Everyone gathered close as the brothers jumped off the bench and into the ring. After a moment of nothing happening, everyone cheered a little and then the twins reached up and dropped two slips of paper into the blue fire.

For one joyful and ecstatic moment of cheering, nothing happened, but then the flame flared and grew larger, sending out streams of fire from itself. Two streams slammed into the twins, sending them flying backwards across the Great Hall as gasps and yelps rang through the air. When Caleb and Claude sat up, they were mostly fine, except for the wrinkly and weathered skin and the straggly white hair and beards on their faces. They looked at each other, gasped in horror, and then turned on Hiro.

"You said!" They accused the young genius.

"You said!" Hiro argued, pointing a finger at Gustav, and from there the group quickly dissolved into a lot of accusations and wrestling as the group of third-year boys started fighting over who's dumb plan it was.

The crowd was chanting 'Fight!' as they gathered around the tangled mess of boys, Emma moved to the edge of her bench to get away from the racket and went back to her notebook, and Rapunzel cringed along with her own year-mates and friends as they watched the chaos drag out.

"Come on, we'd better go break that up." Jack motioned for Tadashi, Wasabi, and Snotlout to come help him yank and pull the boys apart before someone got hurt, and several other older boys also pitched in to help.

Rapunzel, however, tucked her book inside her bag and cradled her flowers as she stood, descending from the upper benches to the floor as Eugene got up and followed her. "While all of this is very exciting, I have a feeling Dr. Sweet and I will be needing two Reverse-Aging Potions, which will take time to brew up."

"Probably a good call. I'll stay here and help Jack clean up this mess. We'll see you later for dinner." Merida said as way of farewell, and Rapunzel waved before turning to leave beside Eugene.

When they reached the door, Eugene pulled her to a stop, but before Rapunzel could give him a confused look she spotted her answer: Hroar of Knaff strode into the Great Hall with clear intent and purpose on his face, his large build making him look intimidating. Headmaster Varvatos Vex walked beside him, even more intimidating than the boy, and one of the Durmstrang teachers Rapunzel had heard someone call Mr. Strickler was also there.

The Hall went completely silent as Hroar approached the Goblet and put a piece of paper into the fire.

As he turned around and walked back out of the Hall, he locked gazes with Rapunzel and for a moment their eyes held before he continued on his way with his Headmaster and teacher. Eugene looked at where Hroar had disappeared, then at Rapunzel, and then back again.

"What?" Rapunzel wanted to know.

"What was that?" Eugene questioned in returned, eying where the Durmstrang boy had disappeared with suspiscion and sourness. Rapunzel chuckled.

"I never thought that _The_ Flynn Rider could be jealous." Rapunzel smiled brightly at him, and Eugene sputtered indignantly.

" _Me_? Jealous? Of _Him_? No!" Eugene shook his head vehemently as Rapunzel hummed doubtfully, brushing passed him to continue on her way to the Medical wing. Eugene hurried after her, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Besides, Flynn Rider doesn't get jealous of other guys... Eugene Fitzherbert, on the other hand, can get worried. Sometimes. Very rarely."

"Mmm, well, you can tell Eugene that he doesn't have anything to worry about." Rapunzel assured him, making him smile as they lapsed into a comfortable silence. After a few moments of quiet, Rapunzel decided to voice something that had been clawing at the back of her mind for a little while. "Have you... Are you going to join the war effort after graduating?" Rapunzel asked softly, her finger fiddling with the stems of her flowers.

"Yeah. I am." Eugene answered her after a moments hesitation, and Rapunzel bit her lip. She knew it wasn't fair for her to be going into battle with the Guardians and then complaining about all her friends wanting to fight too, but she just couldn't stop herself from worrying. From being scared. From imagining what would happen if she lost them too. "Hey," Eugene said softly, touching her elbow gently to bring her back out of her thoughts. "I know it's scary, but we've all got to play our parts in this. The Guardians couldn't do it all on their own last time, and even with you, Jack, and Merida, you're going to need help."

"I know, I know," Rapunzel nodded, but her expression was still as troubled as she felt.

"Rapunzel," Eugene stopped walking, pulling her to a stop so they could face each other in an empty hallway. "I know what you're thinking. Believe me, we're all thinking it. But we can't let the fear of losing people we love keep us from doing whats right. You and Jack and Merida, you three started something amazing by inspiring everyone to join in the fight. And you continue to inspire people with your strength to keep going despite all that you've lost. It's the reason we all want to get out there and fight alongside you guys."

"Do you really believe that?" Rapunzel raised her furrowed brows, feeling doubtful, but also wanting to trust what Eugene was telling her.

"With everything I've got." Eugene nodded, taking her hands in his as he smiled warmly at her. "I wish I could stay longer and continue this, but we have Quidditch practice in about an hour and I promised to lead the drills."

"No, it's okay. I'm good." Rapunzel took in a breath, returning Eugene's smile. The Slytherin gave her a fond look that Rapunzel couldn't quite place and then leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I'll see you at dinner?" It was more of a statement, but he still had that look in his eyes as he walked backwards down the corridor and it was making her insides melt.

"Yes, of course!" She said, watching him turn and walk for a moment before also turning to go on her way.

Once she reached the hospital wing, Rapunzel got right to work on brewing up a cure for the Waltz twins. She pulled a book from the back shelf, not familiar with the recipe because it wasn't every day a healer needed to whip up a reverse-aging potion, but as she read through the list of ingredients and carefully articulated instructions, Rapunzel couldn't help remembering a time when a simple song could smooth weathered hands. Reaching up, she tugged on a short lock of hair. Brown and dead. All of the magic gone.

She wasn't upset about what Eugene had done to save her. She was grateful, truly! She wasn't even all that upset about her hair being gone. In truth, it was the power. Rapunzel missed having the ability to heal everything and anything with just the use of her vocal chords. It was true that she was fast becoming a healer who could heal anything and everything the ordinary way with a wand and medicine, but it didn't quite fill the gap. Her hair had given her power to heal, and acted as her best weapon and tool in battle. It was her hair that had made her the Third Child of Prophecy. The Child of the Sun.

Nowadays her performance on the battle field was mediocre at best. She had no instinct for battle like Merida and no talent for offensive magic like Jack. Her only use currently was to stay safe and be prepared to jump in to fulfill her role as the team healer. She knew the role was an important one, she did, but next Merida and Jack... She felt as though she was getting left behind. A liability during a fight more than a teammate standing as their equal. Merida and Jack were becoming great warriors, their training getting more intense with each passing day, but Rapunzel really only knew how to swing a frying pan.

Rapunzel sighed as she finished laying out the ingredients for the potion, staring down at them as she got more and more lost in her own mind. She turned away from the table and walked toward the windows, looking out through the glass to the endless horizon over the trees and the ocean. The sun burned brightly in the sky, warm and radiant, and Rapunzel took a deep breath of fresh air as she threw open the double-door window, the curtains swaying out on either side of her.

That beautiful breeze blowing through lifted her spirits, reminding her that her dreams were still a part of her. She was ready to follow that wind who knew where and she would get there, she swore it. One day she would stand beside her friends, confident that they were equals, and she'd have the wind in her hair as they moved on to whatever great adventure awaited them.

Rapunzel looked back at the table, her lips pulled into a determined smile, and she hurried over to grab a small piece of parchment and a quill...

* * *

The days passed quickly with anticipation getting thick in the atmosphere of the castle as the day of the champion selection drew near. When the Thursday feast finally arrived the air was heavy with barely contained excitement. Everyone murmuring and moving about the Great Hall, surprisingly quiet but impatient at the same time. As soon as Professor North stood at the edge of the dais everyone fell silent, their eyes trained on the Guardian expectantly. Rapunzel was among them, perched on the edge of her seat with the other Hufflepuffs surrounding her.

"And now the moment you have all been waiting for!" North opened his arms wide as he began dramatically. "The Champion Selection!" As he slowly lowered his hands the torches all around the room dimmed, leaving the only prominent light being that of the Goblet of Fire. He moved forward to stand in the center with the Goblet and placed his hands on it for a short moment before stepping back.

The fire flared and turned a light red color, twitching and shifting, and then a second flare followed, sending a spark into the air as it returned to its original blue color. The spark tumbled toward the ground and as North reached out and caught it, Rapunzel realized it was a piece of parchment.

"The Beauxbatons Champion is... Elsa of Arrendale!" North exclaimed and the girls of Beauxbatons cheered happily as Elsa gracefully rose from her seat next to her sister and walked over to shake hands with Professor North. As the cheering faded, North pointed Elsa to the dais where Varvatos Vex and Hera Juno stood waiting for their respective Champions.

Once again the fire flared and flickered, offering a second piece of paper that fluttered towards the ground. North caught the paper and held it carefully between his fingers as he read the name upon it.

"The Hogwarts Champion is... Rapunzel of Corona!" North's declaration held a hint of surprise and the announcement slammed into Rapunzel like a brick wall. Everyone seemed to pause for one collective heartbeat of shock, and then all around her there were cheers and shouts. Rapunzel couldn't hear any of them as she stood and went to shake North's hand as well, her ears were ringing and she felt slightly numb.

Suddenly she was standing next to Elsa on the dais, and her cousin gave her a smile as they stood tall and waited for the final Champion to be named. Rapunzel's eyes drifted to where she knew Merida was and then Jack; both of her friends looked torn between confusion and excitement with a touch of worry around the edges, which Rapunzel thoughts was appropriate and very much like them. Before she could look to Eugene for his reaction, the Goblet's fire gave another burst and gave forth the final piece of paper for the last Champion.

"And finally, the Durmstrang Champion is... James Lake Jr.!" North smiled brightly, looking towards the grouping of boys expectantly, but they all seemed to have frozen in that moment for a long moment before someone shouted in protest.

"But he's only a fourth year!" A blonde boy shouted, glowering at another boy with dark hair who seated not too far from him. Several other boys voiced their disapproval through groans or cries of outrage. "Why did it have to be him?" Someone called out. "It should've been Hroar!" Another said. Among the nay-sayers were a couple of boys who were ecstatic with the choice, one of them being the short and squat boy seated next to the dark-haired one. The short boy shook the other boy's arm and pushed him out of his seat, causing him to stumble but not fall.

The dark-haired boy, whom Rapunzel assumed was James, looked entirely confused and possibly even a little scared as he stiffly walked up to North. Varvatos Vex stood with a stone cold expression as the obviously too-young boy climbed the steps of the dais and stood beside Rapunzel and Elsa as the final Champion. Seeing the problem and sensing the tension, North turned to the gathered students once more and raised his arms.

"And there you have it! The Selection is over, but in the end only one Champion will go down in history. Only one will claim victory and hoist the Triwizard Cup!" North cheered, distracting the crowd by pointing the attention in the direction of the blue-glass, crystal cup that stood on display on North's podium. "And now, may you all enjoy the evening feast!" North said to them as food began to appear on the tables.

With the distractions, the other instructors ushered Rapunzel, Elsa, and James to the door at the side of the dais. Once they slipped out of the Great Hall, Bunnymund led them down several corridors to a private lounge for the teachers filled with clocks. Rapunzel and Elsa stood by the hearth, the fire warm and welcoming, while James paced back and forth a little ways a way. He kept running his hands through his hair nervously and biting his lip.

Varvatos Vex appeared first with Mr. Strickler directly on his heels as the large man stomped towards James. "Did you, or did you not, place your name within the Goblet of Fire?!" Varvatos demanded, but it sounded a bit more like yelling to Rapunzel. She didn't blame James of cringing and trying to shrink as the large man grabbed his shoulders.

"N-no, sir! I swear I didn't put my name in that cup!" James exclaimed in a slight panic as all of the other teachers blustered into the room, arguing and yelling at one another.

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?" Mr. Strickler asked, fixing James with a hard look, and the boy immediately shook his head, but before he could voice an answer Bunny jumped in.

"Do you think we'd be so stupid as to forget to account for something as dimwitted as that?" The Pooka demanded and Sandman's face was twisted into a scowl as he nodded in agreement, clearly insulted by the insinuation.

"The Goblet of Fire is an extremely powerful magical object, and it would've taken someone with skills far beyond that of a fourth year to counter it." Toothiana added in to help take some of the pressure off of the poor boy in question.

"Regardless of how his name was placed in the cup, it does not change the fact that he is simply too young!" Hera argued, her face expressing more concern for the boy's safety than anger about a possible breaking of the rules.

"Something must be done!" Lady Tremaine's shrill voice cut through the air as she placed herself at the center of the chaos. "The rules cannot simply be broken for this boy! We must choose a new Champion for Durmstrang!"

"I am afraid that is not how this works. The rules are absolute." North said gravely. "The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. I fear that Mr. Lake has no choice. He is, as of tonight, the Triwizard Champion of Durmstrang."

Rapunzel watched on quietly with Elsa as all of the teachers turned to look at the scrawny and nervous boy who stood uncertainly before them, his eyes wide with a mess of emotions and he gulped.


	4. Son of Man

**Music:** "Son of Man" by Phil Collins (Tarzan)

_NOTES: "Son of Man a Man in Time you'll Be..."_

**Chapter 4: Son of Man**

The mid-day sun shone brightly above a cluster of islands set in the middle of the ocean, far out of view from any of the larger continents. The smallest of these islands, a tiny and overcrowded thing, contained a small dock, a market, and a large inn. It bustled with activity in the daylight; music playing, children laughing and squealing as they ran about underfoot, sneaking their hands into pockets where they could. Women danced and sold flowers, waving about scarves to create an air of mystery about their gypsy huts. Men gambled and bartered their goods, trading and haggling in loud voices to be heard over the chaos of the market.

The Southern Isles was a small Kingdom just barely on the Roman side of the border between the Roman Empire and the United Northern Kingdoms, and was ruled by the Westergaard Royal Family. The climate was tropical, and more often warm or blatantly hot. The smallest island, a little ways off the coast of the Kingdom's Capital Island, was technically not a part of the Southern Isles but was often grouped in with them on maps. In truth, the tiny piece of land was one of many Pirate Sanctuaries throughout the known world and it survived because the corruption within the Southern Isles kept many of their nobles doing business with the Pirates that frequented their waters.

The BlueBlazer crew was scattered among multiple stalls and attractions or elsewhere, enjoying themselves in moderation as they'd only arrived two days ago. Meanwhile, Captain Eret Son of Eret took his afternoon meal at the Inn near the center of the market. He dined in the presence of Captain Long John Silver and Captain La Esmeralda of The Court of Miracles.

"Will ye really not share anything about the two teenies you've picked up?" Silver was going on, lazily waving about his tankard as the frothy top sloshed about, spilling a little every now and then. "One would be strange enough for a man such as yerself, but two? And not even cabin-tykes, no, you went and let them become _Captains_."

"He isn't wrong, Eret." Esmeralda pointed out, lounging back in the cushioned armchair she occupied. "You're a crooked rogue, but you never wanted a cabin boy. But maybe these two are special? I've heard quite a few rumors about your crew lately."

"Talia and Cat are my charges and that's all anyone needs to know." Eret replied, picking up and biting into the roll that was on his plate.

"Now how is that fair? You coming here to ask for information and not willing to give any yerself? That's some piss-poor haggling and you know it!" Silver grumbled and pouted as it seemed Eret was determined to keep silent on the matter.

"What good will it do you to learn about two kids that serve in my crew? As far as I can see, their existence doesn't affect you at all." Eret retorted, rolling his eyes at Silver's endless prodding.

"Well, fer starters, they're Captains! They might be wee tykes now, but they won't stay that way, and they won't serve under your command forever. We have a right as fellow Pirate Lord's to know who might be sitting at our next council!" Silver ranted with an air of propriety that he didn't have. "And these rumors have me whiskers twitching!" He dropped the act to rest a forearm on the table as he leaned towards Eret, his eye glinting with wicked curiosity while his glass eye reflected the dim light of the round paper lamps above. "We've been hearin' things, Eret. Things about _Dragons_ and a boy who might not be entirely _Human_."

"Rather interesting tales you have, Silver. I wonder if they're true." Eret said softly, looking Silver straight in the eye.

They held gazes for a long moment before Silver huffed a sigh, looking away, and then started laughing. Eret smirked, lifting his own tankard for a drink as Silver's laugh bellowed and Esmeralda rolled her eyes at the large man.

"Alright, keep it to yerself then, but we all know that there's some fishy business going on with the BlueBlazer Crew, something you might want to be careful about considering recent events." Silver warned, snatching up his tankard again and taking a large gulp.

"Ah, are you boys finally done playing? Can we talk about real business now?" Esmeralda remarked, pushing herself up and placing her elbows on the table as her fingers steepled together. "The Prime Minister has increased his regulations against 'criminal scum' and it's getting worse by the day. All the low-risk smugglers have either been caught or have cut deals with the Ministry Officers by offering up their higher-risk contacts."

"Aye, it's true. More and more of the crooked folk are being hunted down. Won't be long until his Excellency orders all us pirates be Hanged." Silver growled, furrowing his brow as his gaze locked on the table, clouded with thought.

"Do we know why? What's set him off to waste his resources like this? I thought the Ministry was preparing for some war alongside those Wizards up in Scotland?" Eret wanted to know.

"No one knows, but it's not like the Ministry and the Royals have ever made much sense in what they do. The good news is that the United Kingdoms' treaty with the Roman Empire keeps the Ministry from reaching us here, or anywhere further South, so at least the Southern Sanctuary is safe for the time being, even if the Northern Ports aren't." Esmeralda reminded them as she unfolded her fingers and rested her forearms on the table.

"Bah! That's some fine grace there! The Prime Minister and his gallows or the Blood-thirsty Romans! Suppose we best pick our poison, else we be stuck on this patch of dirt for the rest of our lives!" Silver exclaimed loudly, waving his tankard about again.

"You're no fun when you get cynical, Silver. Besides, we weren't prepared for the increased security. We were almost caught around the coast of Arrendale just three days ago. I suppose that's a sign that the Prime Minister still hasn't figured out how to navigate the treacherous seas of the Archipelago and the Far North, which would mean more than half of the larger Sanctuaries are still safe for us." Eret added, nodding to Esmeralda as they shared a troubled, but hopeful look.

"Ye'd best be careful! Yer both young, and I'll give you skilled, but ye haven't seen what happens when a man like Claude Frollo, especially a _Wizard_ like Claude Frollo, decides to see how many bastards like us he can send to the gallows before people start questionin'." Silver's expression darkened, the lines on his face becoming more pronounced as his eyes drifted with experience and time that Eret and Esmeralda couldn't see. "I can guarantee you one thing, for sure; his Excellency's usin' the situation with the Wizards to his advantage. He uses pretty excuses with the Royals to keep them pacified, but he's up to something. Me thinks he's got a scent of something he wants." Silver's eyes fell on Eret with shadow falling over his face.

"You makes you say that? What could any of us possibly have that he would want?" Esmeralda inquired, her eyebrows knitting together as she regarded Silver's serious demeanor.

"Hard to say, really," The older man shrugged, letting himself slump back into his chair, peering inside of his half-empty tankard before waving it about again, though less vigorously this time. "But we'd all best sleep with one eye open. His Excellency is lookin' for somethin', and he won't stop until he's found it..."

* * *

Above the Southern Sanctuary, amidst the light clouds and bright sunbeams, a dragon with scales as black as the night's sky swooped into a slight incline to flip into a vertical dive toward the ocean below. If one looked close enough at the speeding figure, they might have been able to make out the form of a boy riding on the dragon's back, their movements synced so perfectly it was as if they were one.

Cat's left leg shifted down slightly, moving his metal prosthetic to adjust the angle of the tail-fin and just before he and Toothless hit the water, Toothless snapped out his wings and curved their momentum forward to fly parallel with the ocean surface. Water sprayed all around them as the sheer force behind their speed caused a trail of sea water to rise up behind them.

They cut through the air as fast as the wind that carried them and as they neared a grouping of seastacks the pair shared a wickedly excited look. Cat leaned forward in the saddle, angling the tail-fin just a little more, and they started gaining more speed. Toothless tilted to one side and twisted around, angling around the seastacks with natural ease as the wind rushed in their ears, blocking out everything else. Just them two and one heartbeat.

They left the grouping, straightening out as they raced towards an organic arch created by a seastack off to the side. Without even looking at each other, their muscles tensed at the same moment, and then Cat leaped, separating boy from dragon as he went above the arch and Toothless shot straight through it.

Cat's hands touched the grass on top of the seastack and he tucked into a roll, lunging out of it to take two long bounds on his hands and feet before leaping off of the very edge of the seastack. For one moment everything in the world slowed as Toothless appeared right below him, both of them suspended in the air, and then Cat landed perfectly in his saddle and they shot up towards the sky, Toothless roaring out excitedly from the rush.

"WOO-HOO! HA HA!" Cat beamed as the rolled into gentle swoops side to side, getting smaller and smaller until they leveled out at a more relaxed pace. Small gold hoops at the tops of his ear glinted in the sunlight, his hair had grown out a bit, giving him a messier, wilder look. Overall though, Cat was still small and skinny with a little baby-fat lingering in his cheeks. Though he was fifteen and a half, most everyone who saw him still only saw a boy.

He stretched his arms above his head, reaching and arching his back before shaking himself out and relaxing into the saddle, looking out at the great, blue horizon. "Nothing like an afternoon flight, right bud?"

 _"I don't understand why we didn't just stay in the North. We can fly whenever we want there, and it's much safer for us."_ Toothless replied.

"Yeah, but we've also been all over the Archipelago. Twice. Don't you want to see what's here in the South? Aren't you at least a little happy we won't be spending our winter firing the BlueBlazer out of frozen waters?" Cat asked him optimistically, the rush of their flight leaving him in a good mood.

 _"I will admit there are some good points about coming here, but I still think we should have stayed on Dragon's Edge longer. Your leg only finished healing less than a moon ago."_ Toothless rumbled, a quiet huff leaving his nose.

"I'm fine, Toothless! The new leg and tail are working great! As long as we can fly there's nothing to worry about!" Cat assured him, petting the Night Fury's.

 _"As long as you're safe, Twin-Flame..."_ Toothless relented. No matter what name his human used, his stubbornness and his spirit would never change, and even though he worried, Toothless didn't want them to. _"Not to ruin a good flight, but didn't you agree to meet Talia and the others for lunch?"_

Cat froze for a second and then, "Shit!"

* * *

The center of the market was bustling with so much activity that the streets were practically bursting with people. Large crowds gathered around the more exciting stalls with exotic goods or fun games. One area in particular gathered quite a big crowd, some of whom were members of the BlueBlazer crew. Talia stood with them, watching the goings-ons with light interest but seemingly no intention of joining in on whatever was causing all of the shouting.

"And where have you been?" Talia raised an eyebrow at him as Cat silently slid up beside her, panting slightly from all of the ducking and weaving he'd had to do to get through the crowds.

"Me? Oh, you know, just enjoying a nice... ah, _Walk_ ," Cat said, grinning at her as his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"You know, one of these days you're going to get yourself into trouble going on all these _Walks_." Talia rolled her eyes at him as she turned back to the ring of sailors.

"What's going on here?" He asked, following her gaze to find the men gathered around a man kneeling on the ground with three bowls placed upside-down in front of him. Gambling wasn't much of a surprise for them, they were pirates after all, but he was curious as to why Talia would be interested in such things.

"The game master is cheating. No-Name told me, and I eventually figured out that he's flicking the rock into his sleeve at the last second so none of the bowls have a stone. He's good though, so no one else has noticed." Talia explained and Cat nodded in understanding. Eret and the BlueBlazer crew had been helping them to hone their piracy skills; one of which was being able to catch a cheat or a bluff in any circumstance. In the ports there were plenty of gamblers to practice on because they all cheat in some way, though some less than others.

"How much is in the pot?" Cat smirked as an idea flittered across his mind.

"The most recent count was three gold coins and a few coppers, why?" Talia replied questioningly, her gaze furrowing as she slowly became suspicious.

"Well, why not have a little fun and make a profit at the same time?" Cat answered, grinning, and Talia's eyes widened. Before she could say anything, Cat stepped forward into the ring, watching as the last player left empty-handed. "Can I try?" He asked, tilting his head slightly to one side and the game master looked up at him in surprise before grinning widely.

"Well, 'ello there, little lad! Wantin' to try yer luck?" The game master raised one eyebrow at him, feigning friendly conversation. "I'll tell ye what, we can play for bits. How much you got kiddie?" Cat dug into his pocket and pulled out a copper piece that he showed to the man. The game master took two copper pieces and put it into a pile with Cat's piece. Whoever won would get all three.

Cat knelt down like the gamer and put his fists on his knees, keeping them loose. The man cleared the space, bowls and all, then showed three bowls to Cat before placing them down. Then the game master showed the small rock and placed it underneath the center bowl. The gamer started shuffling the bowls, though he seemed a bit cockier than before, moving a little slower and smirking the whole time. Cat ignored him and kept his eyes on the bowls. They weren't hard to follow; a snitch was faster and he never had trouble following those. He could also hear the soft clinking of the rock and, if he focused hard enough, the energy the small piece of mineral gave off. Cat wasn't surprised to sense a second stone slipping out of the man's sleeve and into another bowl. The game master stopped shuffling and waited for Cat to pick one. The boy feigned thinking for a moment, and then pointed to the left one.

"Some fancy guessin' there, laddie!" The game master said, revealing the rock and sliding the pile of coins to Cat. "How'd you like to make things a little more interestin'?"

"More interestin'? How would we do that?" Cat shrugged innocently as he looked at the man, slightly matching the rough dialect of lower-class folk.

"Why not try for the pot? I'll let ye give it a shot if ye can offer five more copper pieces!" The gamer offered oh so generously as he placed the medium sized bag on the table, and Cat snatched five coins out of pocket, slapping them on the small table.

"Deal!" Cat smiled, feeling his pupils lengthen slightly to rounded slits, but he made sure not to allow any more of a shift in his excitement.

The gamer grinned again and placed the bowl back over the rock, shuffling the bowls again. This time he went faster, and Cat had to actually try to keep track with his eyes, though he knew he could do it without sight. After some shuffling, the gamer flicked one of the bowls, sending one of the two stones into his sleeve, and Cat let it go.

On the second go around a second later, the man flicked the second bowl, sending the last pebble toward his sleeve. Cat tightened his left fist, using his magic to pull the rock silently back into the bowl.

When the man finished shuffling and sat back on his heels, his posture was relaxed, completely unawares. Cat pointed to the center bowl, and the gamer smiled as he reached for the bowl. "Sorry, laddie, but I -What?!" The gamer stared down, wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the little pebble on the table and Cat decided it was time to make his exit.

"I won!" Cat exclaimed with mock-surprise and snatched up the bag as well as his own coins before darting away, disappearing into the crowd with Talia right on his heels. He snickered to himself as they slowed to a stop in an alley a little while later, Cat holding onto the bag of money and Talia looking at him in shock as she tried to catch her breath.

"You used magic!" She gasped, looking around quickly to make sure no one was around to hear them.

"Oh, come on, Talia! So what if I did? It's not like anyone's gonna notice!" Cat shook it off easily, peering into the bag to count the coin. Talia crossed her arms and leaned onto one leg, watching him carefully.

"You know I've noticed it, right? You've been using your magic more; when you're flying, during your training, and just now with the gambler. Using our magic can put us in danger, especially you, and you know that." She said, her expression blank as Cat sighed lightly and looked at her as well.

"I know, I know! We need to keep a low profile after the incident at Dragon Island, but after using it so much in that fight with Kappi it's been really hard to keep my magic entirely in-check. I only use it to let off some of the pressure... Most of the time." Cat assured her with a small smile.

"Why do I get the feeling you're lying?" Talia expelled a heavy sigh, dropping her arms as she looked at him with concern. "You're still afraid of your magic, Cat, and you can't keep hiding it behind tricks and pranks. Tell me what's going on."

"Talia, I'm fi- !" Cat cut off as Ug appeared in the entrance of the alley way. "There you two are! What are you doin' back here? Eret's callin' everyone back to the ship!"

Cat sighed in relief and started following with Talia walking dutifully beside him, but she sent him a look that clearly stated this wasn't the end of their conversation. For the time being he'd just be thankful for the extra time he'd gotten to come up with excuses.

* * *

The BlueBlazer was a mess of activity as Eret shouted orders and the crew rushed about, preparing the ship for cast off with shadowed, focused expressions. Talia and Hiccup ran down the dock right behind Ug to where Eret was standing near the gangplank with Esmeralda. Eret turned when Talia called out to him, and he seemed a bit tense.

"There you are! I thought I told you to stay with the men!" Eret griped as the two younger pirates stopped beside him. Ug skipped on one foot for a few steps to politely hedge around Esmeralda and then ran up the gangplank to help with the work.

"You did. We ignored it." Cat informed him, and then looked up at the ship, wondering why the scent of Anxiety was so heavy in the air. "What's happening?"

"We've just received a bird with a distress message, Captain Sinbad and his crew are being pursued by two Roman war ships through the Mazy Multitudes." Esmeralda informed them.

"What the hell they're doing that close to Fort Sinister, no one knows, but when has Sinbad ever been intelligent?" Eret snorted. "We're going to help them."

"Is Esmeralda coming with us?" Talia asked, and Eret immediately said "No." while at the exact same time Esmeralda said "Yes." The two looked at each other for a moment in both surprise and stubbornness.

"And what makes you think you get to make this decision?" Esmeralda demanded, her hands sticking on her hips as her brow furrowed determinedly.

"Well, it's my ship. And you have your own crew here that needs you, Captain." Eret pointed out logically and then smiled a soft half-smile at her. "Besides, we'll need you to come save us like you always do if things go south."

"Mmm," Esmeralda hummed, nodding as she looked at him dryly as they moved closer together. "Well, you'd better take care of those kids, Captain. You should know by now how protective my girls and I can get over little ones."

"And you should know by now that I'd never let anything happen to the people I care about." Eret replied, his voice dropping low to match hers.

"Isn't that why you're going to face the Romans? Sinbad may be an idiot, but he's your friend all the same." Esmeralda smiled up at him.

"Really? We're still here, ya know!" Talia exclaimed, quite unimpressed as Cat coughed loudly into his fist. The two straightened in surprise and looked at the two kids before Esmeralda took a step back and Eret got his all-business expression back.

"Alright, you little terrors, get on the ship!" He yelled at them as they laughed and ran between the two to the gangplank, Eret waving his fist after them and shouting.

Ten minutes later they were all on the ship and setting sail for the Mazy Multitude as Esmeralda and some of her crew watched them go. The Mazy Multitude was a natural gathering of over five hundred seastacks tightly packed together with treacherous waters in between. They formed a circle, leaving the waters within the barrier they created mostly calm, which was why the Roman's decided to build their outpost right in the middle of it. Fort Sinister was the Northern most establishment of the Roman Empire and was named appropriately according to the stories of the soldiers that guarded the outpost. It was less than a days travel from the Southern Sanctuary on an ordinary tradeship, so a Pirate vessel like, especially the BlueBlazer which was legendary for her speed and agility, could make it in half the time.

Pulled by dragons once out of the view of anyone else, the BlueBlazer crew managed to make it to the Mazy Multitude within two hours.

By the time the stones of the maze came into view, Sinbad's ship, the Privateer, was already in battle with one of the war ships as the other began to flank them from the other side. The canon fire echoed across the surface of the ocean, and the smell of smoke was already filtering through the air.

"Ready the canons! Full Speed Ahead!" Eret shouted orders to the crew, angling the ship directly at the space between the Privateer and the slowly approaching war ship as the crew rushed to get the canons loaded and ready.

"Cut Hookfang and Barf and Belch loose! I'll lead the dragons to help in the fight." Cat told Eret as he steered the ship. The Captain looked down at the boy in surprise, glanced back at the fight, and then back at Cat.

"Are you sure? These are Romans we're talking about. Bloodthirsty and even worse than Vikings when it comes to hunting and abusing dragons." Eret reminded him, wanting to be sure that he'd be okay.

"We can't just stand by and let you all have all the fun!" Cat said, grinning at him and Eret chuckled, giving him a nod that sent Cat running into action.

Within seconds Cat was in the air with Toothless and the other dragons, launching into battle beside the pirates as the Roman soldiers on both ships pointed and yelled in surprise at them. Pirates and Romans alike swung on ropes to leap across the gaps between each of the ships, engaging in hand to hand combat and sword duels. The dragons flipped and twirled through the sails, blasting where they could, but wary of accidentally catching one of the pirate ships on fire.

Toothless swooped low and grabbed a Roman from the deck of the Privateer, flying up higher, and then throwing the soldier onto the deck of the war ship he'd come from, hitting two other soldiers so all three fell in a tangled, crumpled heap.

 _"We could sink these ships with one blast each! We should gather our strength and let the sea swallow them!"_ Toothless growled, glaring down at all of their enemies swarming beneath them with tightly slitted pupils.

 _"We're not here to kill anyone, bud. We just need to save the Privateers!"_ Cat said, turning them back towards the BlueBlazer so they could act as the defensive team for the pirates.

"There's too many of them!" Talia cried out, shoving a Roman soldier off of her sword and kicking him in the gut just as Cat and Toothless landed behind the soldier and Toothless bit his arm and threw him off of the boat.

A roar drew their attention and all three of them looked up to see Hookfang struggling to fly away from the Roman ship, but a chain was caught around his foot and several soldiers pulled on the chain to try and pull him out of the sky. Cat and Toothless jumped into the sky again without a moments hesitation, and Toothless fired a small blast at the feet of the Romans, sending them all falling backwards. The chain loosened and Hookfang shook it roughly until it finally came loose.

"MORE ROMANS!" The shout came from no where, but dread filled Cat as he looked off to the Mazy Multitude to see another war ship coming towards them. He looked back at the battlefield and saw Stormfly and Meatlug already caught in nets, the Privateer almost entirely captured with the exception of two pirates who were quickly being over powered. Barf-Belch had tangled their heads in trying to avoid a harpoon and were laying stunned on the deck of the BlueBlazer while Talia and Eret were quickly losing ground on the upper deck.

For a moment everything else seemed to stand still as Eret looked up and their eyes met. The man gave him a nod, the hardened look in his eyes clearly giving an order, but also a promise at the same time.

Cat's heart was beating in his throat, but the third war ship was upon them, and the pirates had lost the battle. The Romans were clever in an evil and despicable sort of way. They would not kill them. They would take the pirates and even the dragons as prisoners to use as slaves or entertainment.

Eret knew this, and he wanted Cat to escape while he could because they were their only hope of escape.

Cat looked at Toothless, knowing his dragon could sense everything that occurred, and then Cat motioned for Hookfang to follow them as they shot straight up into the air, out of range of the Roman weapons and then even farther. As the three of them flew away from the battle, Cat looked back at his friends, worry and guilt flooding his whole being.

He could only hope that Eret would be able to keep his promise that they'd be okay.


	5. A Sneakily Clever Plan

_NOTES: Imperfection is Beauty, Madness is Genius..._

**Chapter 5: A Sneakily Clever Plan**

The trouble with Roman war ships mostly has to do with how incredibly, massively huge they are. An average war ship needed at least two hundred and fifty men to sail it, but could carry up to five hundred men, three hundred of which would normally be slaves used for service and rowing should the winds be against them. A single ship was more than three times the size of the BlueBlazer and could easily tow the two pirate ships along behind it, leaving the other two ships as complete overkill.

Talia struggled against two Roman soldiers as they dragged her out from the cage she'd been placed in with the others. Eret, Sinbad, Sinbad's first-mate, and her were suddenly grabbed and were being taken across the ship to a large tent set up on the back of the large bridge. The soldiers laughed at Talia's fighting against them and spoke to each other in Latin. She could pick out familiar sounds she'd learned from her years at Hogwarts and studying magic, but even among those with an education in the Northern Kingdoms a person who could actually understand, let alone speak, Latin was pretty rare.

Along their walk from the bottom deck to the upper bridge, Talia could see more soldiers forcing Stormfly, Meatlug, and Barf-Belch into cages. Their wings were bound and muzzles kept them from biting or shooting their fires. Sharpshot's frantic squawk had Talia's head snapping around to where a laughing and snorting pair of soldiers were shoving the poor little guy into a cage the size of a lantern that was hanging with a bunch of others off to the side.

"Sharpshot!" Talia cried out, trying to lunge towards the small dragon, but the Romans kept a firm hold on both her arms.

The soldiers dragged them into the tent and pushed them down to their knees, which they found surprisingly cushioned as they realized the floor inside of the tent was covered with extravagant carpets and large pillows. When the pirates looked up, they were confronted by a disturbing and terrifying sight.

Meanwhile, high up above the ships within the coverage of the clouds, Cat, Toothless, and Hookfang were looking down upon the ships, contemplating what they should do next.

 _"We should blast their ships apart and let the Sharkworms do the rest!"_ Hookfang growled as some smoke seeped out of the corners of his mouth, his eyes tracking the shadows of the sea-dragons that followed at a safe distance from the ships.

 _"We aren't here to kill anybody! We just need to save the others, get our ships back, and then get out of here before the Romans or the Sharkworms decide we're not worth the trouble."_ Cat told him, glancing down at the scene below.

The Mazy Multitude was the only place in the known world outside of the archipelago that dragons still inhabited. Long ago dragons were hunted and chased out of the South and then to the Far North where they reside now, but the Sharkworms are a ruthless species. Sea-dwelling dragons with powerful legs like alligators, allowing them to survive in the water and to board ships or land. Their agility and power made navigating the treacherous canals and riptides look like a stroll through a park while ships are torn to pieces by the smallest of tidal forces within the maze. Because humans cannot easily navigate the Mazy Multitude, and dragons are impervious to magic, it only makes sense that the Sharkworms would be able to maintain at least a small part of their territory through the centuries. Though part of Cat wondered if the Sharkworms suffered from the same corruption as Queen Kappi had simply because they inhabit a place so full of magic, both light and dark. Perhaps that was why they were the carnivorous creatures they knew today, because they had developed a taste for flesh and blood due to corruption at an even higher scale than Kappi.

 _"A rescue without an attack may not be possible in this case,"_ Toothless rumbled thoughtfully. _"We should go down there and see what they plan to do with the others."_

 _"What about help? Esmeralda is standing by for back up at the Southern Sanctuary. With her crew we'd have the numbers for a proper ambush."_ Cat pointed out, uneasiness clawing up his back as his eyes tracked the shadows of the Sharkworms under the waters surface and the massive ships full of soldiers that were armed to their teeth.

 _"They'll reach their nest before we return and then freeing our flock will be harder."_ Hookfang pointed out with a snort.

 _"He's right. We need to find out what they're planning to do. If they're going to this guarded nest, our best chance may be to cause a distraction now and hope for the best."_ Toothless agreed, though he kept his gliding steady, waiting for Cat's decision.

Cat hesitated for a long moment, biting his lip, and then relented. _"Alright. Let's move in. Quietly. Hookfang, you stay here as back up while Toothless and I check it out."_ He said, pressing into Toothless's back as they fell back and down to sneak up along the side of the ships.

They swooped low over the surface of the water, not even an inch from skimming the surface, and Toothless radiated _Dominance_ and _Aggression_ in an attempt to ward off the Sharkworms that might want to leap out of the water to attack them. The shadows near them shied away as they passed, but Cat could feel the _Ferocity_ coming back at them.

 _"We'll have to be quick about this."_ Toothless growled softly as he swiftly glided up to the side of the lead ship that was towing the BlueBlazer and the Privateer, latching onto it's side and silently crawling along the wood of the ship. Just below the railing he stopped, and Cat climbed out of the saddle and upwards to peek over the side of the ship. They were behind a large tent on the bridge of the ship, and Cat watched as soldiers walked up the stairs and then towards the tent, dragging Eret, Sinbad, one of the Privateer's crew members, and Talia along with them.

Vaulting over the railing into a crouch, Cat crept along the side of the tent to a couple of barrels that smelled of food. After taking a look around to make sure no one could see them, he peered over the side and motioned for Toothless to follow. The Night Fury clawed effortlessly over the side like a snake slithering across the ground, and the duo crouched amongst the barrels, keeping hidden as Cat carefully pulled back the curtain of the tent to get a look inside.

The four pirates were being held kneeling before a strange couch of Roman design, guarded by more than double the soldiers. There were several cages hanging around the tent, rattling as tiny dragons screeched and clawed at the metal. On the couch was a very, very fat man. So fat that his stomach was dripping over the edge of his lounging chair and was being held up by a small slave. His puffy and stubby fingers were coated in sticky honey as he ate live insects, still wriggling but unable to escape from a bowl full of gooey honey. Beside the fat man was a Centurion General that seemed to be running the ship, but he bowed to the fat man and began giving a report.

"We have captured the pirate ships, your honor! What shall we do with the prisoners?" The Centurian grinned viciously down at the four representatives they had pulled from the cages, and never before had Cat been more thankful that he had learned Latin when he was smaller, thinking it may come in handy with trade negotiations and treaties. While his friends watched with uncertain wariness, Cat could understand the conversation between the Fat Consul and his soldiers.

"Oh, splendid!" The Fat Consul sputtered, his Latin a little harder to understand as he spoke with his mouth full. "And you said they came with dragons?" He continued after swallowing, honey and drool oozing down his chin as his hand was already poised with more of the sweet-coated bugs and crawly things.

"Yes. We've collected three battle dragons, one entertainment dragon, one dog, and nineteen human prisoners." The Centurion told him, his grin growing wider with each word.

"What a wonderful surprise! This is quite excellent news!" The Fat Consul stated as he waved about his fistful of honey and bugs. "More dragons to entertain the men! And I was just talking about how we needed more slaves at Fort Sinister, wasn't I saying that?" The Fat Consul craned his neck awkwardly over the rolls of fat in his neck to look at the guard on his left and the guard stepped forward.

"Yes, sir. Just earlier, sir." The Soldier agreed, though his tone was unreadable as the Fat Consul laughed merrily.

"This works out perfectly! General, lock these filthy creatures in the cages and once we get back to the outpost, have them cleaned and evaluated for work!" The Consul ordered, waving his hand dismissively, and the General smirked wickedly.

"Of course, your Honor." The General bowed deeply. "And how would you like them organized? Physical Capability, height, age, gender...?" He drawled the last word, casting a side glance at Talia who stiffened at the look and hardened her expression, glaring darkly at the General who went back to grinning in response.

As much as Cat wanted to stay and hear the details about the Roman's plans for his friends, he still had work to do. He didn't think it would be possible to free all of his comrades and two pirate ships within the short window of time before they reached the Mazy Multitude, not to mention roughly nine hundred of Imperial Rome's finest soldiers on all sides of them, but if he could create a large enough distraction he might be able to free the dragons and give themselves some more fire power for an actual rescue.

And, hey, if it all worked out and they all somehow managed to miraculously escape then that would just be an uncharacteristic stroke of luck for them.

Cat pulled back from the curtain slightly, trying to think of a strategy, and then he caught a small movement in the corner of his eye. He blinked as he locked gazes with a nanodragon on the side of one of the barrels. The nanodragon was an Electricsquirm. He looked at the lizard-sized dragon, looked at the cages of dragons on the lower deck, looked inside the tent at the Fat Consul, and then back at the nanodragon.

And he grinned.

 _"I know that look,"_ Toothless said, pressing into Cat's back as he looked over his shoulder. _"Should I be worried?"_

 _"Maybe,"_ Cat admitted, turning to the Electricsquirm, he continued. _"Mind helping us out, little guy?"_

 _"What do you need?"_ The nanodragon hissed, tilting his head curiously.

 _"I'll carry you over to that big Roman over there, and you just give him a shock so we can free some of our friends."_ Cat explained, and the little dragon seemed to smile at him.

 _"Happy to oblige! But I just got out of my cage, I'm gettin' out of here the second I get the chance!"_ He informed them, not seeming all that surprised that Cat could talk to him, nor intimidated by the Night Fury looming behind the young pirate.

 _"Fair enough,"_ Cat nodded and then held out his palm to the nanodragon.

Electricsquirms are not aggressive nanodragons, but they give a truly terrible, though not fatal, electric shock when touched or threatened. It seemed the Romans liked to use them, as well as their close cousins the Fireworms, as light sources for their lamps.

Sharing a look with Toothless, they turned and hurried along the outside of the tent to the back side. Cat pulled back another curtain when they were right behind the Fat Consul and his guards who were still in deep conversation. As quietly as possible, Cat crawled on three limbs just like the dragon he rides until he was close enough to stretch out his arm and let the Electricsquirm crawl off of his hand and onto the Fat Consul's back. Tiptoeing away, Cat hurried back behind the curtain, but kept it open so he and Toothless could watch what would happen next.

Still talking, the Fat Consul reach out with his swollen hand to grab another portion of bugs. His porky finger scrabbled around in the honey, not realizing he'd already finished the large bowl of Roman delicacies. The Electricsquirm took his time crawling about the Fat Consul's rolls of flesh, finding the best spot to settle comfortably. When he finally seemed to pick said spot, he made two circles, wriggled a little, and... all five hundred pounds of the Fat Consul soared at least a meter in the air.

His hair stuck up and out like a hedgehog, sparks flew out of his ears, and his great blubbering mounds of flesh lit up with a strange blue light, quivering and shivering and wobbling and jiggling hysterically like a truly gigantic pink jelly that was struck by lightning. A few seconds later he fell to the earth again, and the Electricsquirm flew off of him and out through the curtain Cat held open. The little dragon saluted them before darting away into the sky, and Cat grinned as he looked back at the scene. The Fat Consul's toga had turned to ash around him and the vast, flabby acres of his enormous stomach went on wobbling from leftover spasms in his body. His arm fell to one side, hitting the stand of one of the cages and causing it to totter before falling over and opening the tiny door. Another nanodragon, a Glowworm, jumped out and scurried along the floor, setting the wavy curtains on fire. The light fabrics fueled the flames like dead grass and soon the entire side of the tent was going up in flames.

The soldiers immediately jumped into action, some panicking more than others, but overall Cat could see that the Roman army was no joke. The guards instantly grabbed hold of his friends and started dragging them back towards their prison, no doubt, and the guards of the Fat Consul fussed over the official and working together to drag him out of the tent.

Outside was a decent amount of commotion, and Cat was pleased to see that the guards by the dragon cages were some of the first called to help with the fire and moving the Fat Consul. Cat signaled for Toothless to stay hidden by the barrels and rushed over to the cages.

 _"Hatchling!"_ Stormfly chirped upon seeing him, her tone half-elated and half-concerned as her eyes darted about to search for enemies. Cat was trying to pick the lock when her eyes suddenly widened and, _"Look out!"_ She squawked, flapping her wings wildly within the confines of her cage.

Cat whirled around just in time to duck out of the grasp of a Roman soldier, who stumbled and had to grab onto Stormfly's cage to right himself. Looking around, Cat found himself surrounded by three Romans. They glared and grinned at him at the same time, making him highly aware of his short stature and their unusually tall ones.

"Uh, haha, hey guys!" He chuckled nervously as the Romans all glanced at each other and then started pressing in towards him. Cat saw that as his cue to get out of there. "You know, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'd really rather not become a prisoner of the Roman empire!"

Cat dove between the two soldiers in front of him, tucking into a forward roll and then going over his left side to face his opponents as he caught himself in a crouch, his barefoot and metal prosthetic skidding across the rough wood of the deck. He stopped just when Toothless's shadow fell over him as the dragon stood over him protectively with a familiar shriek, his front paws on either side of his head. Toothless fired a plasma blast at the soldiers feet, just strong enough to knock them to the ground and hit their heads. Before the third soldier could make a move, Stormfly's tail shot out between the bars of her cage and whacked the man in his helmet, causing his head to ricochet off the metal bars of her prison before falling to the ground, out cold.

Unfortunately, that was when the large group of Romans escorting his friends back to their cells came around the corner and found them standing right out in the open. Cat and Toothless looked at the party, glanced at each other, and then back at the Centurion General leading them. The Centurion growled and drew his sword, making to advance on them, but in the same moment, taking advantage of the soldiers momentary shock, Talia lunged forward and swung her leg, kicking the Centurion right in between the legs. The pirates winced and gasped as the Centurion slowly crumpled in on himself, falling to the floor with a very high-pitched whine coming from his throat. The two soldiers holding Talia yanked her back into line, but she was grinning.

"Run, Cat!" She called out to them, and Cat smiled, swinging up onto Toothless's saddle. They shot into the air before anymore trouble could stir up, climbing higher and higher as fast as the could, ducking and weaving to avoid a few arrows from the other ships.

"Well, that didn't go quite as planned!" Cat quipped just as they made it out of range of the ships, still looking back at where his friends were quickly becoming smaller and smaller. "At least we got a look at how their military functions, and we got out of there in one piece -OH THOR!" Cat screamed when he turned forward and a nanodragon, flying opposite them, flew screeching right into his face.

Toothless roared in concern, leveling out but moving awkwardly as Cat was too distracted trying to pull the small dragon off of his face to work the prosthetic tail-fin. Finally managing to grab hold of the little dragon's scruff, Cat pulled it off and inhaled deeply, thankful to be able to breathe again. Looking at the nanodragon in his hand, Cat was surprised to find the Glowworm from earlier who had set the Fat Consul's tent on fire.

 _"Who are you?"_ Cat blurted the first thing that came to his mind as Toothless returned his attention to gaining a high altitude and leveling out alongside Hookfang.

 _"I am the center of the universe! The most high and mighty ruler of the nano empire! Despot of the Northern grasses! The great scourge of the bracken dwellers!"_ The tiny lizard-sized dragon exclaimed, puffing his chest out grandly. Toothless squinted back at them with confused disbelief while Cat simply raised his eyebrows at the miniature creature. _"I am Ziggerastica the Almighty!"_

"Uhhh..." Cat blanked, unsure of how he was supposed to respond to that. He glanced down to meet Toothless's gaze to find his dragon looking entirely exasperated.

 _"Well, tiny-and-strangly-spotted-human!"_ Ziggerastica went on.

 _"Those are freckles,"_ Cat informed him.

 _"You have had the exceptional fortune to save the life of the most powerful being in the galaxy from the evil clutches of the Devourer!"_ He went on without missing a beat and completely ignoring Cat's remark.

 _"If you're the most powerful being in the galaxy, why didn't you get your nanodragons to come and save you from the Fat Roman?"_ Cat asked, mostly just curious, and Toothless snorted.

 _"Even a god has his weak spots,"_ replied Ziggerastica. _"And mine happens to be honey."_

 _"Honey?"_ Cat questioned in surprise.

 _"Yes, those tricky humans filled that bewitched cage with honey to lure me in!"_ Ziggerastica insisted, but Cat perked his head in interest at what the little animal had to say. _"I love the stuff, but the nanodragon cry for help is created by rubbing our back legs together, and honey gums up the noise... It is delicious though... However, the point is that since you saved my life, I am now honor-bound to save yours in return, no matter how strange and wingless you are..."_

 _"Thank you?"_ Cat was more confused than grateful in that moment, but he supposed he could use all the help he could get.

 _"Wonderful. We've just acquired the help of the dragon equivalent to a dust mite after being chased off our enemy's ship before any real fighting could even start. What exactly are we going to do now?"_ Hookfang demanded, as he slowed to match their speed now finally having caught up to one another and leveled, flying away from the Roman ships towards a lone seastack.

 _"Actually, I think I have a plan."_ Cat told him with a half-smile working it's way onto his face. _"And I think Ziggerastica is exactly the dragon we need for it all to work."_

Toothless and Hookfang looked at each other in disbelief, and then up at Cat expectantly.

* * *

"Well, isn't this a great big shit-storm we've gotten ourselves into!" Sinbad griped as he let go of the bars in the tiny hole at the top of their tower cell's wall. He dropped about two feet and straightened, putting his hands on his hips. "You know, pretty sure a rescue plan requires actually rescuing someone."

"And I'm pretty sure we weren't the ones stupid enough to agitate one of the deadliest branches of the Roman Empire, so why don't you shut your hole and be grateful we still have a sailor working on the outside." Eret snapped back.

"He's got a point there." Kale, Sinbad's first-mate, shrugged casually with a small smirk on his mouth. "Though, in his defense, it wasn't Sinbad's stupidity this time around. We got caught in a storm while trying to shake off a Ministry scout that had been tailing us and it swept us too close to the Mazy Multitude. They spotted us before we could manage to redirect."

"Who's side are you on?" Sinbad muttered to the larger man before turning back to Eret. "And really? That scrawny little kid? I'll give you the dragon thing, Eret, I wasn't expecting that, but how is one kid and one dragon going to break us out of Fort Sinister?"

"Don't underestimate Cat." Eret warned. "He's smart. Smarter than anyone else I know. If anyone can think of a way to get us out of here, it's him."

"Well it's not like we have many other options. They'll keep us in this tower until they're ready to start us into their slave trade." Sinbad sighed, leaning back against the wall with crossed arms.

Suddenly a small ball of light shot through the window and started bouncing off of the walls, seemingly unable to slow it's momentum. The pirates shuffled and shouted a bit as they moved out of the way of the tiny flame, and a few burn marks and scorched clothes later, the little ball finally managed to roll to a stop in the air, shaking it's little head.

"It's a dragon!" Talia exclaimed, shooting up from her seat on the ground and holding her hand out to the nanodragon. The little creature sniffed at her hand a bit, made a face, and then allowed itself to lower onto her palm, puffing it's chest out and bow it's head as it presented a small slip of paper tied to it's back.

"It must be from Cat!" Tiny said excitedly, looking over Talia's shoulder with Ug on the other side.

"Let me see," Eret said as he walked over to them, and Talia handed him the paper. The BlueBlazer Captain opened the slip of parchment and started reading, a slow smile creeping across his face. "I knew it. Cat already has a plan to get us out of here." He threw a pointed look at a skeptical looking Sinbad who had gone back to leaning against the wall. "I've sent Ziggerastica to assist you, and Hookfang is on his way to the Southern Sanctuary to sneakily deliver a note to Esmeralda." Eret continued reading from the note, though he purposefully left off the part about Cat hoping Hookfang's sudden appearance wouldn't cause Esmeralda and her crew too much of a panic. "'Now the first thing I'm going to do, is get captured -', wait, what?"

Everyone froze as all of Eret's attention zeroed in on the note, reading it with a squinted brow as Sinbad raised one at him. "Oh," Eret said as he looked over the letter a third time to make sure he got it right. "Oh... Oohhhhhh, Crap Baskets."


	6. Preparations

_NOTES: "Don't Fear the Future, you'll just be Delayed."  
_

**Chapter 6: Preparations**

The classroom was dimly lit as it was around mid-day so there was no direct sunlight coming in through the windows, and the sixth-year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors milled about the space, talking and shifting so the room felt packed because of the noise and movement. Amidst the rustling, Rapunzel was seated at the front of the center aisle of the desks with Merida sitting on her left. They going over some of their notes together as they waited for Professor Bunnymund to appear and begin their Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

"Whatever's on your mind, Merida, just go ahead and say it," Rapunzel said, breaking the mostly comfortable silence that had been between them for the past five minutes. Though, Rapunzel could tell that Merida was lost in her own thoughts rather than looking over class notes because she was intently chewing on the end of her charcoal pencil.

"What? Oh, no, it's nothing," Merida snapped out of her daze and then smiled at Rapunzel reassuringly. "Just been thinking about some Divination stuff I've been working on."

"Have you been having Dreams? Visions?" Rapunzel perked up, both worried and curious whenever it came to Merida's gift of Sight.

"I feel like I have Dreams every night, the trouble is figuring out what they mean." Merida replied in a low murmur. "But let's not talk about that right now. How about we talk about you."

"What about me?" Rapunzel said innocently as she picked her quill back up and looked intently at her notes, biting her lip a little.

"Oh, nothing much. Just never would've expected you to put your name in the Goblet of Fire. Eternal Glory doesn't seem like something you'd care much about." Merida chatted casually and Rapunzel chuckled, shaking her head.

"You're right about that. Eternal Glory isn't really the reason why I decided to sign up for the tournament." Rapunzel admitted easily, shrugging her shoulders lightly, and Merida gave her a careful look before continuing with an easy shrug of her own.

"Well, whatever the reason, I know you'll make a great Champion." Merida remarked confidently before side-glancing at Rapunzel. "Hopefully this tournament will help you to see it too."

Rapunzel froze and dropped her quill in surprise before snapping her head around to look at Merida with wide eyes and a light blush. She registered Merida's knowing smile and wondered how on earth she always managed to read her so easily, but before she could say anything the door to the classroom opened and Bunny came in.

As all of the students found their seats and Bunny moved to the front of the class with a friendly greeting to them all, Merida briefly rested a hand on Rapunzel shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile and nod. Rapunzel smiled back at her and felt the warmth of gratefulness pooling in her chest. Merida was her best friend and if anyone was to know that her reasoning for partaking in the tournament was to ease her own insecurities about being a Guardian, she would want it to be the red-headed Seer. Merida respected her and knew better than most that there were just some things a person had to do.

"Alright, class, I'm sure you're all thrilled with the excitement of the tournament, but let's remember that this is still a school and learning should be our first priority!" Bunny announced to the class as he turned to them with a smile, ready to begin their lesson. "Now, Professor North and the Ministry of Magic have argued over whether or not I should be teaching you today's lesson, but as far as I am concerned; it's my job. You need to know what you're up against. You need to be prepared."

A somber air overtook the class of sixth-years as Bunnymund let them sit in the silence for a moment, absorbing what he'd just told them. Rapunzel found herself unconsciously holding her breath in anticipation of what mystery lesson was to come.

"Now, I want you all to listen closely; There are three Unforgivable Curses that are strictly forbidden across all kingdoms and nations. The use of any one of them will earn you a one-way ticket to the gallows alongside pirates and murderers." Bunny informed them, his expression shadowed as he looked at each student individually, ensuring that they were all paying close attention. Not that it was necessary. Rapunzel thought they could cut the silence with a knife. "Today we will cover each of the Forbidden Curses and discuss some methods of how to possibly avoid or perhaps counter if you have enough skill to manage it. We'll end today with a short dueling practice period at the end of class during which you are more than welcome to ask questions of me." Bunny paused for a moment, took a breath to steady himself and then cleared his throat before continuing on.

"First there is the Imperius Curse, which allows the castor to gain complete control over the actions of another living being, including their speech and facial expressions. It gave the Ministry of Magic quite a bit of grief during the War. Many claimed to have been forced into committing heinous crimes under the influence of the Imperius Curse, however, because of the spells nature, it is nearly impossible to tell the liars apart from true victims." Bunny wrote the name of the first Unforgivable Curse as he spoke, not including the incantation as he normally would when telling them about a new spell.

"Secondly we have the Cruciatus Curse..." He continued, his writing slower than usual as he seemed to be thinking to himself about something. "This curse inflicts excruciating pain upon the victim. It's primary use throughout the years has been torture. To successfully produce a Cruciatus Curse, the caster must truly despise the victim and enjoy inflicting pain on them."

"And finally; the Killing Curse." Bunnymund said, writing the third curse on the board before turning to the class with a gaunt expression. "Which is self-explanatory, I would think."

Rapunzel forced herself to breathe, taking slow, quiet breaths through her nose, but it did nothing to help the nausea inducing twisting and curling happening in her stomach. She was not oblivious to these curses. She had seen Pitch and his followers use them, and she had been informed about them during lessons with her father about the laws of Corona. She knew there were people out in the world that would not hesitate to use these spells. But it still made her sick thinking about them. How she and her friends had narrowly escaped them during each encounter with the Dark Sorcerer, how she'd been lucky that Gothel had never gotten the opportunity to use them on her or her parents.

The unbearable silence was broken by a slight shifting as Astrid raised her hand, her face set in a hard, determined line. Bunny nodded to her. "These spells are known for being incredibly powerful. If people like Pitch Black and his followers won't hesitate to use them, how can we even stand a chance? How did the Guardians beat them the first time?"

"A good question, though the answer is a bit complicated." Bunnymund admitted, putting down the chalk for the board and brushing his paws against each other before standing before them with a look that made him appear ten years older. "During the first War, both the Ministry and us Guardians struggled to keep up with Pitch and his followers, largely because of their use of Dark Magic. They were capable of feats that we wouldn't dare touch for fear of corruption. After some time, though, it became apparent that the Unforgivable Curses were the one advantage we could not overcome. Some testing was done and the world was left with quite a shock when it was revealed that the nature of the Unforgivable Curses is actually neutral because they are based totally on the emotions of the caster. Because of this, the Ministry and Tsar Lunar gave special permission to the top Aurors and the Guardians to use the Unforgivable Curses for the duration of the War. There were some that were corrupted by the sheer power of the spells and gave in to Dark Magic, but for the most part our forces managed to remain intact. I'm warning you all now, though, these spells are not to be taken lightly. Those of us on the battle field watched each other for signs of corruption, we watched ourselves to be sure we weren't using the curses too much. We avoided using them as much as we could and many suffered still after the fact... War is not to be taken lightly."

"Have you ever used one, Professor?" Ruffnut asked softly, looking and sounding uncharacteristically shaken. Her brother had his arms crossed, though his expression was similar to Ruff's, as he tried to act a little more composed. Bunnymund took a deep breath and offered a quick nod.

"I have." The pooka admitted, still standing tall before them with an unreadable expression. "And trust me when I say, these curses come with a heavy price. Some find it easier to pay than others, but no matter what these spells will take from you as much as you curse another. With time, some manage to retrieve what they lost, others... Well, my goal with this lesson is to teach you how to defend yourselves against these curses." Bunnymund cleared his throat a little louder this time and gave another, more pronounced nod. "It's my hope that you will never have to use these spells, but I'm almost certain that at some point you will need to know how to fight someone who will." He addressed the room, but his eyes fixated on Rapunzel and Merida, causing them to glance at each other in understanding.

Seeing that they understood his meaning, Bunny went on with his lecture. "Now, these curses have no counter spells, which is part of the reason why they are so feared, however they do have some weaknesses..."

Professor Bunnymund went on with their lesson, describing things like how the Cruciatus Curse and Killing Curse can be blocked with solid objects such as shields or a wall, and that one can resist the Imperius Curse if their will is stronger than the caster's. Rapunzel listened with rapt attention, furiously taking notes on everything the Professor offered them about avoiding these spells. When they moved on to the dueling portion, Bunnymund had them use basic dueling spells when playing the part of the adversary so that each of them could practice more physical actions like rolls and jumps for avoiding attacks. He also promised that once they showed some mastery of evading attacks, he would begin working with them on evasion-into-counter-attack techniques.

Through the majority of the class, Rapunzel continued to feel that uncomfortable sensation in her stomach, the churning that made her skin crawl, and it made her wonder if she would ever make a decent warrior. Or at least a fighter for the sake of protecting her friends. She desperately wanted to be good at these things, to be able to fight and win, especially in the name of protecting innocent people. And there were aspects she was very good at! Evasion techniques came easily to her, and she really got physically tired in comparison to all of her classmates.

So why was fighting magic so hard? Why did it always make her feel so sick?

* * *

A blinding flash and a puff of smoke filled the room as the camera gave off a sound like a strangled cough. Rapunzel blinked a few times, not used to being directly in front of the flashes, but remained composed. Cameras were not rare for most Royal families, and Rapunzel's was no exception.

Elsa looked completely unphased, if a bit bored, which was understandable. Having just been crowned Queen after her sixth year of school, and all the trouble that came along with everyone finding out about her powers, Elsa had been bombarded by the world at large, everyone wanting to know about her and her plans for the Kingdom of Arrendale. She had grown used to the attention out of necessity, though she had confided to Rapunzel that she still felt incredibly awkward in these situations.

Jim was not as collected however. His eyes were wide after the flash and he had to blink profusely to regain his sight, which was hindered by the fact that the smoke made him sneeze twice. Rapunzel didn't know much about the boy, seeing as they had only talked a couple of times and had stuck to mostly simple small-talk. She knew that her preferred people call him Jim, and that he came from a modest home with just him and his mother. Part of Rapunzel felt bad for Jim because she couldn't help but believe him when he claimed he didn't know how his name got in the Goblet, even if the entire school was of the opposite opinion and currently saw him as a cheat. Another part of Rapunzel wondered what Jim was hiding.

Rapunzel was pulled from her thoughts rather quickly as a short man with blue skin and pointed ears walked through the puff of smoke and looked at them with a critical eye. "What a charismatic trio!" He finally stated, lifting into the air and fluttering over to them in the blink of an eye with shoes that had little wings on them. He extended his hand to each of them, shaking their hands as he introduced himself. "Hermes Messenger at your service. I write for the Daily Prophet, but you already knew that." He chuckled. "No, it's you we don't know. And let me tell you; Everyone Wants to Know! What quirks lie beneath those rosy cheeks?" Hermes flittered about like a hummingbird, fast and hard to keep track of. One second he was batting his eyelashes innocently at Rapunzel and the next he was in front of Jim with a mischievous wink. "What mysteries do those bright eyes mask? Does courage lie beneath the crown? In short: What makes a Champion tick!" Hermes finished by hovering in front of them with one arm supporting the other elbow as he held his chin thoughtfully. "Me, myself, and I want to know! Not to mention my rabid readers," He stage-muttered the last part to them behind his hand as he glanced around as if to make sure no one heard him, and then a straightened suddenly, making them all jump a little as he clapped his hands. "So! Who'd like to share first?" He gestured to the couch and two chairs set up around a coffee table off to the side, and the three Champions all glanced at each other uncertainly.

Within a few moments they were all seated around the coffee table, Hermes sitting in one of the armchairs with Jim in the hot-seat directly across from him. Meanwhile Rapunzel settled on the couch next to Elsa, thankful for the small mercy that it would at least be a group interview and not individual ones.

"Well, isn't this cozy!" Hermes said as he sat in his chair, looking at the small fire in the fireplace and the light refreshments that adorned the coffee table. "None of you mind if I use a quick-note Quill, do you?" He asked casually, the long-feathered quill and notebook already floating next to him.

"Oh, uh, no?" Jim stumbled softly as Rapunzel and Elsa shook their heads.

"Fantastic! So, why don't we start with the youngest, eh? Tell us, Jimmy, do you mind if I call you Jimmy? How does it feel?" Hermes questioned the boy, but didn't stop for an answer, the quill scribbling quickly and loudly beside him. "A mere boy of twelve-"

"I'm fourteen." Jim blurted out the correction, seemingly struggling to process what was happening, but Hermes didn't seem to notice too much.

"-About to compete against two students not only vastly more emotionally mature than yourself, but have mastered spells that you wouldn't attempt in your dizziest daydreams? Concerned?" Hermes finally paused to hear a response, and Jim blinked uncertainly, squinting at the quill that had paused and moved up as if to look at him along with Hermes.

"Um, I -I don't really know, uh, I mean, I haven't really thought about it?" Jim sounded more like he was asking a question himself than answering one, but then, he was also more focused on the quill and it's writing than Hermes.

"Just ignore the quill." Hermes chuckled reassuringly, though Jim didn't look comforted in the slightest. "It's because you're no ordinary boy of twelve, are you?"

"Fourteen." Jim said again, this time a little more clearly as he seemed to be getting annoyed with the antics of the reporter.

"Your father's mysterious disappearance when you were only five years old, and your mother being a muggle. Do you think it was the trauma of your family's past scandals that made you so keen to enter such a dangerous tournament?"

"Uh, No! I-I didn't enter, I -" Jim tried to say, but Hermes threw his head back to laugh.

"Oh, of course you didn't!" Hermes agreed, but gave a conspiratorial wink that suggested he didn't actually. "Everyone loves a rebel, Jimmy! Hahaha, scratch that last bit," Hermes said and the quill did as instructed. "Speaking of your mother, how do you think she'll feel when she hears? Proud, or Concerned? That your attitude at best shows a pathological need for attention and approval, at worst a psychotic death wish? Would you say that your eyes are glistening with the ghost of your past?"

"What?" Jim blinked, shaking his head a little. "- _Glistening_ with the ghost of my past? No! What does that even mean?!" The boy glanced at Rapunzel and Elsa with a look that clearly said 'what is going on, please help me', to which Elsa offered a small and weak shrug. Rapunzel gave him what she hope was an encouraging smile, but may have been a bit of a grimace.

This was going to be a long interview for all of them.

* * *

"So the poor kid really had no idea what was going on?" Jack asked as he chuckled with Merida, opening the door for both of them to walk through ahead of him.

"Yeah, I felt really bad for him, but I didn't have any idea how to help him!" Rapunzel told them, thinking back to Jim and how he struggled through the entirety of the interview, looking at her and Elsa in astonishment as they conversed with the Daily Prophet writer with seemingly no trouble at all.

"Do you think he's telling the truth when he says he didn't put his name in the cup?" Merida wanted to know as the three friends set their bags down off to the side of the room.

The Room of Requirement had become a means of escapism for the students. No one except the students within the Dueling Club knew where it was, and it was a great place to hang out and relax even when they had no meetings planned, so it had gotten to the point where there was always someone in the room. It's main purpose was still duel and fight training, but it now doubled as a game room of sorts. It didn't help that people like Tuffnut and Ruffnut kept almost a continuous supply of Butterbeer in the room and made a small profit selling contraband treats and trickery candies.

"I don't know. I want to believe him. He just seems so sweet, and I can't see why he would want to join the tournament... But then, I can't see why anyone would put his name in the Goblet for him." Rapunzel shrugged uncertainly. "Anyways, what did I miss at the meeting? Guardian business is more important than a silly interview."

"Ah, it's just the same old stuff. No one has any idea where Pitch is, so we just have to get whatever information we can to try and figure out where he might strike next." Jack said, crossing his arms in his frustration.

"I'm sure we'll find something. We just need to keep trying. Eventually we'll find a way to stop Pitch." Rapunzel stepped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder for encouragement.

"But will that happen before or after a War breaks out? We're supposed to protect people, but we can't do that when we're always two steps behind." Jack pointed out.

"Maybe, but we can still give it our best shot." Merida declared easily. "Let's worry about War if it comes. Right now we need to stay focused on what we can do and the jobs we've got in front of us."

"Says the Seer of the group." Jack remarked with a smirk, which Merida instantly returned.

"Makes me more of an expert on it than either of you. Take it from someone who knows, you can only change the future by acting in your present." Merida crossed her arms, looking confident and proud.

"Have you Seen anything lately? Anything that might help?" Rapunzel asked, remembering their conversation from earlier.

"It's always hard to say for sure. Sometimes I feel like I'm having Dreams, but then it'll just turn out to be a memory." Merida shrugged, her eyes becoming slightly clouded as she thought about it. "I recently had a Dream about the Sundrop Flower. How it fell and grew and died. Then all I could See was fire." She confided in them, and Rapunzel felt her stomach drop a little.

"Do you have any idea what it means?" Rapunzel tried to keep the shakiness out of her voice, but she wasn't sure if she was successful. A dead flower, one that she had such a strong connection to, did not sound like a good omen.

"I haven't got a clue. It could be nothing, but... I'll let you know if anything more comes up, but for now...just... Be careful in this tournament, okay?" Merida didn't look concerned, really, so that was comforting, but she did look serious, so Rapunzel squared her shoulders and nodded determinedly.

Perhaps signing up for a dangerous tournament when she and her friends were trying to help prevent a war wasn't her best idea, even if they were taken off missions for the foreseeable future because of school. Whatever the matter, she was in it now and she'd just have to make the best of it. With uncertainty clouding Merida's Sight, she'd just have to be ready for anything.


	7. Gasoline

**Music:** "Gasoline" by Halsey *Explicit*

_NOTES: "Madness is not a State of Mind. Madness is a Place. Let's go there, Shall We?"_

**Chapter 7: Gasoline**

The afternoon was quickly fading into evening that Friday as Emma left the library. She was far too distracted by the nightmares she'd been having to focus on any of her studies, and she figured a walk around the castle grounds may help to clear her head. The world descended into twilight around her as she passed silently along the covered walkways. She moved slowly, as though under water, seeing only half of the beauty around her as a transparent image of a vast darkness preoccupied her thoughts, broken only by hanging keys and clocks the number of which seemed endless as more and more continued to replace those she'd already walked passed.

 _"Come now, Emma, it's only a dream!"_ A feminine voice echoed through her thoughts as two images blurred against one another in her sight.

"It's not a dream, it's... A memory..." She murmured, trying to sort the jumbled haze enveloping her mind. "And it makes me sick!"

"Emma!" Her head snapped up at the sound of the voice, her feet halting on their own accord and her vision clearing to the dullness of grey stone and fading light.

"Oh, hi Venelope." Emma greeted her shorter friend as the young Slytherin skipped over to her, smiling.

"Where you going? Dinner's gonna start in a few minutes!" Venelope reminded her, jerking her thumb back toward where Emma had been walking away from.

"Oh, um..." Emma hummed, her head still feeling a little drowsy. "I was just going to get a little fresh air." She explained.

"You sure? You look a little pale." Venelope remarked, squinting at Emma's face as the Ravenclaw scratched the back of her head, laughing a little nervously.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" Emma insisted, waving Venelope off, but both girls stiffened and looked when a distinct, gravelly 'meow' carried through the walkway.

"Yikes! That is one mangy old cat!" Venelope exclaimed as they both caught sight of the scrawny animal.

The thing was nothing but skin and bones with some scraps of fur pretending to be a coat. It had white fur that was dirty and matted and in some places there were bald spots made apparent by the angry, red flesh underneath. It's left ear was crooked and missing a chip off the side, it's whiskers were tangled and bent, and Emma could count every single one of it's ribs.

But it's eyes are what caused Emma to freeze in her spot. One eye was a common sickly-yellow among stray cats with a dull look and no light within the pupil, but the other was a brilliant, vivid green that pierced through the darkness of the shadows with an intense stare.

"Hello, there!" Emma said softly, dropping to a crouch and holding out a hand. "Pst, pst, pst! Here kitty. Don't be afraid." She called to it.

The cat looked at her sharply and then promptly turned around and started trotting away. Emma stood and hesitated, but then smiled apologetically to Venelope. "You go on without me, I'm... I'm going to go make sure that stray doesn't get into any trouble with Mr. Crood or the other teachers!"

Emma didn't give Venelope the chance to argue as she'd already taken off after the creature, but the Ravenclaw didn't miss her friend's knowing head shake: Emma was always running off for strange reasons. It was one of her quirks.

Hurrying down the open corridors, Emma kept catching glimpses of the cat as it turned around corners or moved behind something. Somehow she managed to follow the creature out to the castle's main garden.

Large hedges lined the pathways, and giant bushes were trimmed into fantastic shapes and even creatures. Most of the paths were gravel, and there were patches of squares and circles where trees, bushes, flowers, ferns, and any other plant one could imagine flourished beautifully. The garden was large and all of the looping pathways with hedges acting as walls created maze. One had to spend a lot of time in it to be able to navigate it in complete confidence, but Professor Sandman had charmed it so that if someone did get lost, they'd end up right back at the entrance where they'd started.

Just inside the maze entrance there were two indents in the hedges on either side of the path that allowed for two stone benches. The hedges here were blossoming with white roses and in the center of the pathway the cat stood as if waiting for her to catch up.

A distinct memory of a red rose, green eyes, and this place flashed before Emma's eyes and her heart lurched, but she quickly shook herself as the cat started to walk away again. She followed after it, absently thinking about her choices, "Seems following furry creatures into dark holes has become a bit of a habit. I hope it's not a vice..."

The pathways were dim with deep shadows and twisted vines and gnarled branches. Sharp thorns wrapped around delicate petals and green hedges that loomed over her. The cat led her through several turns that eventually guided her to a straight path with no sign of the furry animal. She looked this way and that as she slowed to a walk, trying to find the cat, but the thing had mysteriously vanished into the evening mist that was slowly collecting above the earth. The straight path opened into a small, circular clearing with nothing in it except for a pedestal bird bath.

Emma looked around and, finding nothing else, decided to investigate the bird bath. Walking up to the little basin, she peered into the water, finding her reflection. But it wasn't a normal reflection, no, the girl in the water had black hair tied into a thick braid, her eyes were a sharp brown with curiosity, and she wore a brown dress with metal buckles and studs as well as scrap metal forming a bow on her lower back.

"Meow," The loud noise in the quiet of the garden made Emma spin around, her eyes immediately locking onto the cat that had reappeared and now sat at the exit, blocking the way out. It seemed to twitch and convulse strangely as the it's mouth parted into an unnatural grin. It's yellow eye was squeezed shut, but the green eye was fixated on Emma, matching her stare for stare.

"You've been gone too long, Emma," The cat spoke, seemingly with several, gravelly voices speaking in unison. "There are matters which might benefit from your attention..."

As he spoke the ground beneath Emma's feet began to tremble and crack, blue light flooding upwards through the gaps. Emma backed up until her hands caught the bird bath, but the cracked earth continued to shake and began falling away until the very ground beneath Emma's feet collapsed and she started falling.

All around her were glowing colors as she fell passed swirls of teapots, utensils, gears, cards, teacups, sand-glasses, elaborate armchairs. She plummeted faster and faster, spinning until she could straighten herself with out-stretched arms and looking down into the endless abyss. Suddenly her surroundings shifted to walls of pipes and oozing blackness like oil, the heads of baby dolls with missing eyes and cracks in the wax. the heat of flames wafted up at her from all directions as she passed the hideous imagery into a darker place as her magic rose inside of her.

Emma swung her feet forward so that she was right side up, creating a light spin in the process. She swung her arms out to her sides like wings and threw her head back as a wave of blue magic exploded from her chest...

In the next instant she was floating, gently lowering towards the forest floor as her brown dress with metal bits billowed about her and her now black hair was tied back into a thick braid. Her feet touched the ground softly with a graceful landing and she reached up as a blue butterfly fluttered over to greet her before dissipating into a glittering breeze.

"Very upsetting journey, but at least the place I've landed is somewhat familiar." Emma remarked, gazing around the forest that would've been fairly ordinary were it not for the dominoes floating in the sky and in the water like stepping stones, or the giant dice and cards half-consumed by the earth, or the strange creatures that scuttled about. She walked toward the water and stepped onto the first domino, satisfied to find it holding her weight, but the amber glow of a familiar shape taking form in front of her distracted Emma from everything else.

"You've gone quite mangy, Cat, but your grin's a comfort," Emma quipped brightly, unable to keep her own smile from her face as the familiar grey feline with black markings, a wide grin, and bright green eyes appeared fully before her.

"And you've picked up a bit of an attitude. Still curious and willing to learn, I hope." He purred back at her from his perch at the river's edge. "Do you still carry the Vorpal Blade?"

"Of course!" Emma replied, reaching into the folds of her skirt to unsheathe a large and bloodied kitchen knife. "Although it seems that, like Wonderland, it's become quite strange. How is one to find her way?"

"Your knife is necessary. Collect what is useful, reject only your ignorance, and you may survive." Cat informed her, and she pursed her lips at him.

"Blasted Cat. Don't try to bully me! I'm already on edge as it is!" Emma told him, but that just seemed to amuse him.

"Purrrrfect! When you're not on edge, you're taking up too much space." Cat rumbled, his grin flicking just a little wider.

"I'll frighten myself when necessary, thanks very much! I was hoping to escape from all that." Emma huffed, more than a little annoyed that it seemed her Wonderland was in no better shape than the real world.

"Abandon that hope! A new law reigns in this Wonderland, Emma. It's very rough justice all around." Cat's voice came sharper, more serious.

Emma looked down thoughtfully, lifting the Vorpal Blade to look at her reflection above the blood stains as her fingertips trailed along the deadly tip. "I didn't come here looking for a fight."

"Really? That's a pity. One's certainly looking for you." Cat commented, but then his ears perked and he listened for a moment before continuing. "We're at risk here. You... Be on your guard."

With that he faded away with a quick amber flicker and Emma was left to her own devices. Figuring that she didn't have many other options, Emma started walking. The wood was actually quite peaceful; beautiful trees, a trickling stream, birds chirping in the distance, cow heads with bird bodies flying off when she came close. It was different, but overall things didn't seem too bad. She could jump just as high as she could before, and her magic allowed her to give give a burst for a double jump or float across larger gaps, which she always enjoyed when she came here, though it did remind her of her mother's chiding to stop jumping off of tables. The spongy toadstools were also just as she remembered them, launching her high into the air with a well placed jump.

It was after using one of said toadstools to leap over a particularly high ledge that Emma found a giant glass bottle tipped on it's side, creating a waterfall and pool of purple potion. A tag hung from the neck of the bottle, printed on it were two words; Drink Me.

"Mushrooms, Puppies, Sugar, and Spice. All those things are very nice. When combined, the proper mixture makes a getting small elixir." Cat's voice echoed to her as he appeared again beside the pool.

"I've been down this road before. Good things in small packages?" Emma nodded, though her eyes looked around her before falling onto Cat again.

"Though lacking a bathing costume, a plunge in that pool is in order." Cat encouraged her, giving his head a tilt towards the purple liquid.

Stepping into the shallow pool, Emma reached out to the falling potion and cupped her hands, allowing herself a light shower before stepping away as she began to shrink. "Ah! Now this I remember! 'Little things invisible to my bigger self'? Being short-sighted is only a matter of perspective." She smiled, recognizing the magic from the potion and knowing that it would stay with her for as long as she needed it. Being able to shrink down to a fraction of her normal size was a useful trick that had helped her in the past, and she didn't intend to waste it.

"It will prove useful instantly as the path ahead is quite narrow," Cat said, flicking his eyes to a tiny doorway in the side of a rock that no doubt led to a tunnel beyond.

Emma walked over and, with a hiccup, shrunk down small enough to walk right through the tiny cavern. While shrunk her vision became stained with purple, revealing invisible things like arrows painted on the walls and ground, or drawings carved into stones. She kept her focus forward, though, as she traversed the Vale of Tears, passing by a giant statue of herself with water pouring from the eyes and down to the forest floor where it created a river of crystal clear liquid.

Eventually, after bouncing off of another toadstool, she found herself at the top of a gigantic slide that stretched beyond the view of her eyes. She felt a bit of warmth through the unease as she recognized it to be one of her fonder memories. Jack taking her to the big slide at the park when they were younger. She didn't hesitate to leap onto the ramp, feeling the wind rush passed her as the forest sped by. The slide bridging the gap of open sky between two larger floating islands of forest, smaller islands scattered about to create a whimsical scene from the slide.

Suddenly the end of the slide appeared and the momentum she'd gained carried her out a bit before she landed on her feet in a shallow river of blood. The stained and sticky water flowed across the forest floor, poisoned by the coppery substance. Emma looked around herself, finding everything else to look fairly ordinary... Though she wasn't sure such a thing existed in Wonderland.

She started walking upstream, not particularly fazed by the crimson fluid now covering her boots up to her ankles. Not far away she found a patch of stone in the middle of the river, creating an island of land surrounding by the flood. As she stepped onto it she noticed a headstone inscribed 'Beware: Here lies the remains of the Jabberwock'.

But Emma's frown deepened into a disbelieving scowl as she glanced around, seeing no remains. No body, no bones, not even a scrap of leathery fur. All that was there were two puddles of an unknown black goop.

"The Vorpal Blade is swift and keen. And always ready for service," Cat's voice echoed from somewhere in the forest, and the Vorpal Blade flew out from the pocket of her skirt to poise itself before her, blade pointing skyward. She grabbed the sturdy, leather handle and gave the knife a few swings, remembering it's weight and the addicting sound of metal slicing through air. Remembering the thrill and satisfaction of feeling it cut through her enemies.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose as _Danger!_ filled her senses. Black puddles of some putrid, oily substance that had been left in place of the Jabberwock's remains suddenly shifted and rose. Two creatures grew out of the puddles before her, awkward and unnatural things that were larger on top than on bottom. They had four legs, but they were all short, like the legs of a coat rack. Skinny arms hung at their sides, and those broken baby doll faces were embedded into the front of the creatures as faces. They were crude and ugly, crying out with the most pitiful and horrifying sounds as they lunged at her.

Emma jerked back, her body exploding into a swarm of butterflies and mist as she dodged backwards before instantly reforming in her new position. She lunged forward, giving herself the offensive ground, and swung. The blade cut through some of the ruin's oily body, and the creature cried out in pain from her attack, but it remained standing. Emma continued slicing at the creature, refusing to give it a chance to attack her again, but kept in mind that the second one was still hovering behind her.

She dodged again at a second attack from the one behind her and then dove in with a final slash at the first monster, which collapsed back into a puddle of useless goo with one last shriek. Sensing that the threat was gone from that one, Emma allowed herself to drive her energies into the second one, showing no mercy as she cut it down. Oil splattered from the creature and onto her arms and face like blood, but she spoke evenly and plainly as if the battle wasn't taxing her at all; "Ugly, gross, and evil in a single monstrosity!"

The creature finally collapsed, screaming in pain, but Emma paid no heed to the abomination as she flicked off the bits of pollution still stuck to her arms and face. Cat manifested before her, sitting calmly with his tail wrapped around his paws, but Emma frowned at him with her brow furrowing slightly.

"What's happened to Wonderland?" She demanded, swiping the Vorpal Blade to get the oil off of it. "What were those _things_? Where has the Jabberwocky gone?"

"Much has changed since your last visit, Emma." Cat rumbled as his tail flicked lazily back and forth behind him. "You'll find much more chaos here than before, but at least you're accustomed to Madness already." The feline's grin turned lopsided in his smirk and Emma huffed, feeling annoyed.

"You're no help at all!" Emma waved him off with an arm and started off toward another path that she assumed would lead her deeper into the forest.

"But you know I can be," Cat said smugly as he appeared to the side of the pathway's entrance. Emma planted her feet and stuck her fists on her hips, feeling indignant.

"You promised you would teach me!" Emma shouted, her lower lip trembling a little. "But you've been missing without a trace for two whole years! I've been all alone with no one to train me and no one to talk to and no one will listen to me!"

"I told you there would come a time when this burden would weigh heavy on your shoulders," Cat reminded her sharply. "You chose to swear yourself to me. I know your worth and I expect as such from you. I will not tolerate useless blubbering." He straightened from his leaned in position and looked down at her from his perch on a rock, his grin never wavering. "I will teach you, but this is your world, Emma. Shape it, or someone else will."

"What do I do? All they care about is hierarchy and etiquette and pretty faces." Emma confided to him. "Sometimes I get lost and I can't tell the difference between this world or that one. I feel trapped and I don't know why..."

"So which is reality? This place or that? Perhaps it's both. But whatever the case may be, you'll need to discover the truth to save all that you love." Cat told her, gesturing to the path with his paw. "But remember this, Emma, you can't wake up from what is not a dream. And you are a part of the machine."

On that pleasant note, Cat disappeared again, leaving Emma to follow the path on her own. She didn't understand half of what he'd told her, but she'd always known him to favor the 'learning on the job' method, so she straightened her shoulders, stiffened her back, and began her march down the path.

She walked and walked, traversing the forested domain, but her mind vaguely recognized the increasing number of red leaves as she moved deeper and deeper into the forest. Amber leaves drifted down in a lazy, but continuous rain, the trunks of the trees became a darker shade of brown as the naked branches rotted at their ends. She came across two more collections of black puddles that formed into baby-doll faced creatures, hell-bent on attacking her. She also had the displeasure of encountering some violent slugs made out of the same vile pollution.

Insidious Ruins, Cat had finally informed her after the third encounter, an unnatural and hostile combination of ruined mechanical parts that vomits pollution and slashes through the muck it dispenses. A mindless, industrial disease, it oozes grease and mechanical slime and wields a dangerous weapon. The unseemly sound and noisome stench completes its menacing aura.

"But how did all this pollution get here?" Emma muttered to herself, thinking as she walked along. She came to a chasm and jumped twice, twirling on the second one as she used her magic to boost herself, and landed gracefully on the other side. She looked to both sides before deciding to go to the left where she could see the sky and some of the edges of the floating forest.

Just as she came around the corner, several plateaus collapsed on her left as boulders fell from the higher cliffs. Sparks and fire flared up as the earth fell away, blasting her with a wave of heat, as geysers of oily pollution sprung up, spraying the sticky, smelly stuff all over what little remained of the forest floor.

Emma spotted a number of small ledges that had survived the collapsed and crossed to a larger plateau where two Insidious Ruins gurgled up from the piles of goo. They wasted no time in attacking her, and Emma didn't hesitate to raise her blade against them. She moved fast, noticing that if she didn't kill them fast enough, all of the cuts she sliced would simply ooze back together again.

Once she was certain the two creatures were dead, she continued to jump from ledge to ledge, using her magic to ease her efforts. She finally reached a higher plateau again, and the land on her right side fell away, taking a small grove of trees with it and revealing the lower level of the forest on the other side. Emma noticed that the lower land ended abruptly and the metal and wood tracks that came from behind a stone cliff made her heart leap into her throat. She rushed to the edge and leaped towards the lower floor, landing in a run as she raced to follow the trail of broken train tracks.

The once fantastical and bustling train station of the Mock Turtle's Train lay in ruins before her; the tracks broken and destroyed, the small and decaying station was covered in rust and chipped paint, the train hung halfway off the side of the cliff on the other side of the clearing and was damaged beyond repair. No longer was the forest clearing filled with noise and smoke like snips and snails, but instead with the putrid stench and horrifying noise of Insidious Ruins as they bubbled up from the pools of pollution that had bathed the area.

Filled with anger and outrage at the injustice of the train's destruction, Emma charged at the crowd of six that were clawing their ways up from the depths of the black spills. They shrieked and started at her as well, but Emma dodged and dashed, butterfly wings exploding all around her as she sliced and slashed through each one. She screamed her fury as drops of oil spotted her face, arms, and dress again. In the heat of the battle, she didn't care. All she wanted was to feel her enemies collapse lifeless at her feet.

She didn't stop until the craving was satisfied.

The last Ruin fell with a strangled cry, oozing as it slipped off of her knife from where she stabbed it. The feeling was gratifying, but it did nothing to quench the rage that stormed inside of her heart.

Another gigantic tremor coursed through the earth, and Emma widened her stance to hold her balance, but the train was not so lucky. Already hanging halfway off of the cliff, the train groaned and grated as it slid and fell completely over the side of the cliff and out of sight.

"Hatter always hated mechanical malfunctions. This disaster is either his doing or his epitaph." Emma considered as she looked around the depressing state of a once lively and beautiful place. Unable to stand the sight anymore, she turned away and started towards the path that was unblocked when the train fell. Peering over the edge she found another plateau a little ways below with the entrance to a very familiar tunnel. Emma took two steps back, and then ran forward to make the leap across the expanse.

She knew where the tunnel would lead her, and she hoped that she would be able to find something of use there. The tremors were becoming stronger and more frequent with each passing second, and she had every intention of finding out who, or what, poisoned the forest before it was all reduced to oil-smeared rubble and ash.

Behind her, a particularly large earth quake caused the rocks on the side of the mountain to slide and fall, caving in on the entrance to the tunnel just as Emma had gotten inside. There would be no turning back now.

The tunnel was long and dark, but also empty aside from a stray jar or two. Upon reaching the exit, Emma found a large clearing of desert-like rocks that dropped off as open sky revealed another large island not far from the one she was on. The one in front of her looked like a palace constructed out of scrap metal, gears, and clocks. She remembered before that it was brightly colored and the floating teapots flying about the castle released white puffs like clouds as they chugged along; now it was dark and frightening. The teapots floated motionlessly in mid-air, all of the color had been washed away to leave only black and greys and browns, not unlike the dress she currently wore.

Emma stepped onto the metal platform where a cable stretched from where she was all the way to the flying castle, and turned toward a raised portion off to the side where a large bugle horn sat. She calmly walked over to the horn and blew hard into the mouth piece. The horn gave off a massive blast of baritone sound that rattled Emma teeth, but as soon as the sound faded she saw the teapot-shaped cable car lightly swinging as it clicked towards the platform. She boarded and the mechanical, glass-windowed teapot started off along the cable as Emma took her seat on the cushioned armchair.

"The Hatter's Domain. Almost as I remember it, though it is a bit dark..." Emma said, thinking out loud as she looked out at the bleak castle in front of her.

"Appearances, as you know better than most, can be deceiving, Emma. As I've told you before, much has changed." Cat said, his form flickering into view as his eyes glowed in the gloomy surroundings.

"Professor North says that change is 'constructive'. That 'different' is good." Emma remarked, thinking back to some of her classes at Hogwarts and the things she'd been taught alongside the other students.

"Different denotes neither bad nor good, but it certainly means 'not the same'. Find the Hatter, Emma. He knows more about different than you." Cat retorted, leaning towards her as he spoke and then straightening again.

Before Emma could make a proper comeback a couple of mechanical-looking dragon flies buzzed around the cable car. After regarding it for a moment, they began attacking, ramming the glass and cracking the glass. Cat ducked forward, swinging his head to one side and then the other to look at the creatures.

"Making friends, Emma?" Cat inquired before amusement laced his tone and he continued. "You're as randomly lethal and entirely confused as you ever were."

"I've managed without you so far, Cat. Return to whatever hovel's home for you. I'll call, if I need you." Emma waved dismissively, knowing he wouldn't go far.

"Predictably rash." Cat shrugged, non-caring, and then gave her a side-eye. "It's not a question of _if_ , Emma, it's _when_. Now, hold on, and as they say, 'shut up'."

"So typical." Emma muttered as Cat disappear right before the teapot crashed into the wall of the castle, the flying creatures still chasing it.

The bumpy landing ended with a hole in the stone wall, the cable car fallen off the wire and laying on it's side on the ground. Emma picked herself up from where she had fallen on the steel floor, dusting herself off as she took in her surroundings. "I've made more graceful entrances. I suppose I must be grateful nothing's broken."

The Hatter's domain wasn't just darker and gloomier on the outside. The once colorful and inventive workshop of a palace had been turned into a stark, metal factory. She found mechanical dragonflies, Bolterflies, that attacked relentlessly if one got to close to their nest, as well as Madcaps, the little trolls who had once been peaceful workers in Hatter's mansion but had since been driven into madness by the pollution. Insidious Ruins had the place under siege along with their slug allies, and Emma found that multiple rooms were now drowned in lava of melted metal. The air was thick with smoke, the water stained brown, and soot covered everything. It made her heart ache, wishing she could see the colorful, bright, and fun manor she remembered.

But it also made her worried; Where was Hatter? Her old friend would never have let this happen.

She moved through the mansion, searching for her friends in the hopes that they had not met a terrible fate. The lower she got, the worse the stench became, as water flooded different rooms because of sewage leaks. But eventually, she found herself within the basement of the large building, the water now reaching mid-calf. Emma didn't notice the uncleanliness, though, as she was more concerned about the state she found her three friends to be in.

Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse were all being held within the same prison cell in the basement. Hatter was restrained in a straight-jacket, March Hare was completely confined by a box with only a hole for his head, and Dormouse hung upside-down from the ceiling by his tail. They all looked as though they had been beaten and tortured; covered in scrapes, cuts, and bruises.

"Oh, no!" Emma gasped, racing over to her friends and grabbing hold of the bars separating them. "What's happened to all of you? Who did this to you?" Emma asked them in a rush of worry and distress.

"Emma?! Oh, glorious days! You've finally returned!" March Hare exclaimed, his voice weak and raspy even as he tried to smile through his wounds and exhaustion, his scrappy ears flopping down around his face uncharacteristically as he was normally too anxious to not be listening to everything around him.

"Can it be? Is it really you?" Dormouse questions, his nose twitching as he tried to blink open his swollen eyes.

"Em...ma...?" Hatter tried to raise his head from where it hung limply on his chest, his eyes struggling to open, but when he saw her a new light filled his eyes; a spark of hope. "Great Futterwacken!"

"From the looks of you, I'd say you're in no condition to do any such thing!" Emma told him, wondering if her could even stand, let alone dance. "What's going on here?" She asked again, a little calmer now that she was certain they were all still alive.

Before they could answer, a massive tremor and a horrible groan that sounded vaguely similar to some of the noises she'd heard on Platform nine and three-quarters, had them all ducking close to the earth and covering their ears. Emma's friends screamed in terror, trembling with their fear as she looked around helplessly lost, wondering what on earth was causing all of these earth quakes.

"Ahhhh! That's going on! Around, and up and down, in my ears, through my eyes, and up my nostrils, down my gullet and winding in my guts..." Hatter muttered excessively as his teeth chattered and ground in his nerves.

"Seems most people are exceedingly fond of trains. I don't like them much." Emma confided to them as she removed her hands from her ears, looking around as if she might see a sign of the noise starting again.

"You won't like this one at all. Nothing like when Mock Turtle was in charge of the Looking Glass Line." Dormouse declared angrily, his wriggling causing him to swing back and forth a little as he slowly spun in circles, straining his neck to look her in the eyes.

"Right you are! This railroads a bloody shambles! The stink is ferocious, the light blinding, the noise hellacious, the -!" Hatter ranted, but Emma cut in before he could go off for too long.

"Ah, quite, Hatter. I get the idea; a bad train." Emma assured him, wanting to save time since they might not have any to spare.

"The world is upside down, Emma. Inmates run the asylum, -oh! No offense." March Hare exploded and the murmured, his smile nervous and forced as he chattered.

"And worst of all... I'm left tea-less!" Hatter sobbed, dropping his chin back to his chest.

"Tragic." Emma deadpanned, her patience wearing thin. "Now, what about this damnable train you all keep fussing about?"

"There's a fault in the code... Hands cold... Fire... Gasoline... So many voices!" Hatter hissed, his eyes clouded and unfocused until he screwed his eyes shut with a painful cry. Whatever was going on inside his head couldn't be pleasant.

Emma could relate. But neither of them had time for pity.

"Answer me, Hatter! I'm suffering. And changes here are a cause; or they're a reflection, or the effect. What's going on? What are the new rules?" Emma wanted to know, peering through the cell bars at her straw-haired friend.

"No time to explain!" Hatter suddenly shouted, making Emma jerk back in surprise. "You must stop the train! The Train, Emma! Wonderland needs it's Champion once again!"

Emma paused, and then smiled at the determined look on Hatter's face. That was the Mad Hatter she knew. She stood up and looked at the bars before turning a serious look on all three of her friends, pulling the Vorpal Blade from it's sheath in her skirts.

"I'm getting you out of there. We'll find this train together." Emma said, and the three tea-addicts watched in mute fascination as she lunged at the bars, slicing through them as easily as she cut through flesh and bone. Sparks flew as steel hit metal, and they reflected in Emma's stone-like brown eyes.

As the bars fell apart, Emma stepped through the new opening. She freed Dormouse by swiping the thin chain with her blade and holding out her other palm to catch the tiny, white mouse. He finished removing the restraint from his tail as she lowered him to a dry spot on the floor and then he hopped off so that she could help Hare. She split the box in two and as soon as he felt the hold loosen, March Hare spasmed wildly with uncontrolled flailing as he wriggled out of the box and bounded over to Dormouse, finally free.

Then there was Hatter. The white mouse and brown rabbit watched on in silence as Emma pulled the giant off of the wall he was leaning on so that she could cut the sleeves of the straight-jacket, returning to him the use of his arms. Freed, Hatter slumped forward, unmoving for a moment, but then he started to struggle to his feet. Compared to Emma, and his two tiny animal friends, Hatter was always quite a sight; standing at ten feet tall with pale skin and a too-large nose. His silk top hat added another two feet and his frizzy red hair stuck out the bottom in crazy curls. His eyes the same green color as a poison frog, though he wasn't ugly, not really. Emma thought that he might actually be quite handsome were it not for the nose... and the madness...

Despite the joy of renewed freedom, none of her friends looked well. Dormouse and Hare's fur looked matted and dull, and Hatter was dressed only in the straight-jacket and black pants. They weren't nearly as colorful and bright as they used to be. They were worn and tired.

"You should rest," Emma told them. "You're exhausted. Tell me where this train is and I'll make sure it's stopped."

"No time for that!" Hatter announced firmly as Dormouse and Hare nodded sharply in agreement. The two rodents jumped onto one of Hatter's legs each and Hatter swooped Emma up into his arms to carry with one arm at her back and one under her legs. "Hold on tight!"

With a powerful jump from his long legs, Hatter cleared several floors of his mansion and latched onto the wall of the main garbage shoot. Bouncing back and forth, Hatter made his way up until they reached the very top floor. He jumped out of the shoot, and after landing, he gently set Emma back on her feet as Dormouse and Hare jumped off of his large feet. The four of them stood before a massive door that Emma knew previously had led to Hatter's Hanger where he kept his hot air balloon, but now she feared the worst.

Hatter braced his hands on the doors and gave a giant shove, throwing the doors open. They were met with the main platform guarded by two mechanical teapots with big red gems for eyes and an Insidious Ruin that was different from the ones she'd faced before. This one was twice the size with three baby heads, two doll arms to defend it's weak spots, and a giant arm made of the same sludge from it's body. From it's hunched back it ground out balls of burning coal that it would throw with it's bulging arm.

Beyond the three enemies a massive train began to rumble passed, leaving the hanger. Fire poured out the top and both sides of the engine room, metal and spiked like armed walls of a military fortress. The train picked up speed as it kept going, heading out into the sky.

"We're too late!" Dormouse exclaimed and a vicious snarl brought their attention to the immediate problem as a ball of fire was thrown towards them.

They all scattered to avoid being hit as the teapots round on them, launching blasts of boiling tea as the Menacing Ruin charged at them. Emma stood, blade at the ready, and glared at the monster running at her, but in the next instant, Hatter grabbed her and pulled her out of the way.

"Hatter! What are you doing?!" She yelled, struggling against him. She wanted to fight alongside her friends; Dormouse who brandished his sewing pin against the eyes of the teapots, Hare who used his speed and agility to confuse the teapots into attacking each other, and Hatter who was dragging her away from the battle.

"You must go! My Domain may be lost, but Wonderland may still survive! Go!" Hatter said, throwing her towards a looking glass that reflected Emma... In her school robes. Her eyes and hair were ordinary. Dull.

"No! I can't leave you three!" Emma argued, whirling back to Hatter, but he wasn't looking at her. He was facing the Ruin that was charging at them again. Hatter, using his large frame, grabbed the Ruin and met it in a stalemate of brute strength as they pushed against one another.

"GO!" Hatter ordered her. "Gryphon is building a resistance, but it won't stand a chance if we don't know our enemy! We will meet Gryphon and catch up with you when we can, but only you can save Wonderland, Emma! You must go!"

"But why?! Hatter, where is that train going?! What's it's purpose?!" Emma called to him desperately.

"Talk to Turtle! He ran the Looking Glass Line! He was the first attacked by this evil!" Hatter advised her, finally gaining the upper hand and throwing the Ruin off to the side. He looked back at her, but only turned his body half way as he intended to continue fighting.

"The truth is hidden somewhere within Hogwarts, isn't it? I have to find out what's causing this pollution in Wonderland, but I now believe this train impedes me. What am I supposed to do?" Emma inquired, but Hatter looked impatient as the Ruin was getting up again.

"Ask the one who helps them what helps themselves. Whoever that is!" Hatter told her. "Now go!" With that he whirled towards her and shoved her backwards into the Looking Glass.

Like falling into solid water, Emma reached out for her friends, but it was already too late. She fell down... down... down...


	8. Survive

**Music:** "Survive" by Madilyn Bailey

_NOTES: "You've got a mind, that is one of a kind, so why hide it away? It's time to open the locks, and think out of the box!"_

**Chapter 8: Survive**

Emma woke with a start, launching herself into an upright position on the soft mattress of one of the hospital wing's beds. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, a small bouquet of wild flowers was set on the nightstand, and the room smelled vaguely of disinfectant mixed with herbal medicine.

"How are you feeling?" Emma's head snapped up at the voice to find Rapunzel standing beside her bed, holding a small vase with old flowers in. Her expression showed concern. "Mr. Crood found you passed out in the Gardens. You have some bruises and a few scrapes."

"...I'm fine." Emma offered lamely as her thoughts finally broke through the haze of sleep. Hatter must have sent her back through the reflection of the bird bath. "I'm sorry, I don't remember much..." She fibbed, moving to get up, but Rapunzel stopped her with a hand to her shoulder.

"It's okay, you're safe." Rapunzel assured her calmly before straightening and returning to the questioning game. "Venelope was the last one to see you last night, and she said that you went running after a stray cat. Do you remember that, or anything else?"

"Y-yes." Emma nodded slowly. "I remember the cat, and I followed it to the garden, but after that I'm not sure..." Emma trailed off, but then thought better of it. "I think I got stuck by some Valerian thorns when I was chasing the cat. He -he ducked under a bush and I tried to follow him. I guess I should have been more careful.

"Well, you did give us all a scare, you know. Jack has been worried about you." Rapunzel sighed and then tried lightening the mood, but Emma could see she was relieved. Perhaps the Guardians were concerned about the security of the school, which some might consider confirmation of the theory that Emma had.

"I'm sorry," Emma said, keeping her expressions carefully apologetic. She didn't want to concern anyone with her thoughts just yet, and besides, if she told them now, they'd push her aside and try to handle it themselves. Emma wasn't about to watch Wonderland, and by extension her mind, go up in flames because they thought she didn't know what she was doing.

"It's alright. I know things haven't been easy for you, Emma. Venelope and Cupcake mentioned Lady Tremaine gave you detention already." Rapunzel replied earnestly, resting her hand on Emma's shoulder again. "But you should be more careful. Don't go wandering off by yourself, and try to stay out of trouble. I'll make some excuses to Professor North. You should be fine, so you'd better go before anyone catches you running late." Rapunzel told her, giving her a little wink.

Leaving the hospital wing was a bit of a relief for Emma. She liked Rapunzel, and trusted her too, but she didn't think she, or anyone else in Hogwarts for that matter, would quite understand the situation she currently found herself in. No, saying she'd been stupid was much preferable to being admitted to an asylum, or possibly causing increased security around the castle that could very well hinder her later.

Emma knew that the two worlds were very much connected, and whatever was happening in Wonderland, was also happening in the real world. Thing was, the signs of corruption in the real world wasn't as obvious as they were in Wonderland. But she did have a theory that the corruption was coming somewhere in the castle; that Pitch Black had found a weak link in the school's defenses and was exploiting it to get his Nightmares through. It was an opportune time with the tournament acting as a distraction, and the Guardians trying to prevent another War from breaking out. Feeding off the fear of the students reading papers and articles about the recent raids and attacks would help Pitch to grow stronger while the Guardians wear themselves thin with everything that was happening.

Then again, some of those things could work to their advantage. The tournament seemed to have pulled a lot of peoples attention away from the growing dangers in the world. The students were more wrapped up in the games than they were in the papers, which led to less fear.

Emma could respect the initial idea of such a plan, but the result would be everyone drowning in their own ignorance once the fighting finally broke out. Ignoring the problem wasn't going to make it go away, and trying to hide it was just going to weaken their forces. Even if the Guardians and the Ministry were working together, something was still going wrong, otherwise Wonderland wouldn't be collapsing.

She decided she'd just have to follow Hatter's instructions to find the truth. If she could find the hole where Pitch Black was getting through their defenses, she could stop it, and help prevent a War. She just had to be careful about it. One can never tell who is trying to hide the truth.

Luckily enough, it was still fairly early that Saturday morning, and though she wasn't looking forward to her detention sentence later that evening, she was glad to have the day free of any classes. With the extra free time she would be able to spend most of the day in the Auror's Office, which was the first place she was going to search for some clues.

The Auror's Office was as busy as always and the shuffling of paper and clicking of typewriters filled the air with sound. Emma signed in on the trainee clipboard and then checked her scheduled duties for the day.

Not the slightest bit surprised, Emma then made her way to the back room for another invigorating day of filing. Today, though, when she entered the tiny, dusty room, she felt a renewed sense of purpose. grouped everything together decently enough, Emma already had a sense of organization within the space that would make it easy for her to go through the files. She ignored the stacked boxes in the back corner of the room that were filled with old, unnecessary Hogwarts cases such as petty theft or damage of private property reports, and instead turned toward case files from more recent events.

The way Emma saw it was that if she started with the most recent reports and went backwards, she'd be able to see the connections between Pitch's latest work and his earlier, more subtle work a little easier. She might also be able to pin-point when Pitch started gathering strength again, and, with any luck, where he might strike next. She wanted to figure out what he planning to do. How was Pitch Black going to start a War?

Of course, she'd also have to look into her theory about a break in their security where Pitch's shadows could be leaking in from, but that investigation would have to wait until after curfew. She'd get in trouble for snooping around where she wasn't supposed to during the day, and people would become suspicious, so it was best to do it when there were no witnesses.

With no one paying attention to her at the Office, Emma could stay tucked within the back room and read through all the files she wanted to. She spent the next few hours reading and taking down notes in her notebook, organizing each file into drawers and such as she went so in the unlikely event that someone did check in on her, they would see she'd made some progress.

All the while her mind kept flashing back to images of oily muck and fire and blood and destruction. She was determined to figure out what was destroying Wonderland. What was trying to destroy her.

Emma quickly got lost in her work and didn't realize how quickly time had passed until she heard the bell tolling to announce lunch was being served in the Great Hall. She hesitated to leave her work, but also knew that skipping lunch would make it more likely that someone would come to check up on her, so she put down the file she'd been reading and gathering her things. Signing out at the front of the Office, her stomach gave a low rumble, and she decided that food was probably a good idea anyways.

She walked along the corridors, taking the long way around so she could clear her head a bit before needing to socialize at lunch. She wondered about how so much had happened in such a short amount of time. It was only the beginning of the school year and already she was trying to chase down some conspiracy theory. Not that she minded all that much. Hogwarts hadn't been much fun at all since Hiccup left, and this gave her the chance to have fun and prove herself to everyone.

Lost in her thoughts, Emma didn't notice the figure walking backwards from an adjoining hall until they both reached the corner and bumped into each other. Emma dropped her notebook and the figure who'd backed into her stumbled, only barely catching himself from falling on top of her.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" The boy immediately began fussing, rushing to pick up her notebook and hand it back to her, but Emma only giggled. Jim Lake Jr. stood in front of her, his eyes softening from panic to recognition as he realized who was in front of him. "Emma!" He smiled, smiling and then he seemed to remember that he was still holding her notebook, looked down it, and then laughed nervously as he awkwardly handed it back to her.

"Are you lost again? Lunch started a few minutes ago, so what are you doing all the way over here?" Emma asked, not sure why she was grinning so much at the boy.

"Uh, well I -I... Well, you know, I could ask you the same thing," Jim replied slyly after a short moment of panic, so now Emma, of course, was curious.

"I've had a lot to think about these past few day and I needed to clear my head, so I'm taking the long way." Emma told him honestly, and his surprise showed visibly alongside his renewed panic. "Your turn." She smiled smugly. Jim laughed a little, smiling at her softly.

"I was talking to a friend about the whole Tournament thing," Jim admitted slowly, his smile falling into a troubled grimace. "He's older and really wise, so he helps me with stuff, but I don't think he knows how to with this competition."

"Are you scared?" Emma asked, watching his face for his reaction.

"Terrified." Jim smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes and it fell away quickly. "I don't even know how my name got in that cup! And it doesn't help that half of Durmstrang is ticked off at me now."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could help." Emma stepped forward, lightly touching his arm to comfort him, and Jim looked at her hand before looked up at her face. Though she didn't know the details, everyone had heard about why Jim had been allowed to stay in the tournament as Durmstrang's Champion.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. You've been nothing but nice to me since we first met." Jim said, his eyes reflecting gratitude, and Emma smiled at him.

"Come on," She said, stepping back and adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag on her shoulder. "I'll show you to the Great Hall."

"Thanks." Jim nodded at her as they started walking together. "So, what's the stuff you've been thinking about?"

"Hm? Oh. Well..." Emma trailed off, remembering the general themes of all her thoughts lately. "Just girl stuff." She opted for. "I'm not very good at being a proper lady, and Lady Tremaine likes to make sure that I know it."

"Yeah, I heard you got detention already," Jim said, looking mildly horrified at the idea of such a harsh teacher. Emma looked at him in surprise, and he smiled sheepishly. "The gossip system in this school is crazy, I don't know how if anyone can keep a secret here."

"It's not as hard as you think." Emma told him.

He looked at her as thought he wanted to question her on that, but just as he opened his mouth they walked around the corner to find Toby anxiously waiting for his best friend.

"Jim!" Toby exclaimed, hurrying over to them. "Where have you been, man? Lunch started almost half an hour ago! Oh, hey Emma, fancy seeing you here!"

"It's the main hall, Tobes. This is the one place everyone is always going to." Jim reminded him with a fond sort of exasperation.

"I'm being gentlemanly and charming!" Toby explained to Jim with the same kind of expression. "I could teach you a thing or two that would impress a certain someone..." Toby exaggerated his conspiratorial talking by blocking his mouth with the back of his hand as he waggled his eyebrows.

"Tobes!" Jim squeaked as his cheeks went bright red, and Emma paused a moment.

"You like someone?" She looked sideways at the older boy who stood head and shoulders taller than her. It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did. She'd only known Jim a short while, occasionally seeing him around school, but she supposed he was becoming a fast friend.

"W-w-well, I, um, see, uh, I..." He stammered, pulling at the collar of his Durmstrang uniform as his face turned an even darker shade of red.

"Jim has some trouble talking to the ladies, if you know what I mean." Toby did the stage-whisper behind his hand thing again, nodding at her. "Doesn't really help that we go to an all-boys school. But that just means we've got more of a chance with all them Bueaxbatons ladies! Cause all the Hogwarts guys already have Hogwarts ladies!"

"I'm not entirely sure that's how this whole thing works, but who am I to know? I've never really put too much thought into that sort of thing." Emma shrugged, figuring that Toby sounded a little more knowledgeable about the subject than she was.

"Mr. Domzalski! Mr. Lake! Would you two like to join us for lunch sometime this moon cycle?" Varvatos Vex boomed from the entrance of the Great Hall, making the three students flinch and duck slightly.

"I guess that's our cue to go," Jim murmured, smiling apologetically to Emma, and she offered him a gentle smile back. "See you around?" He said hopefully.

"Of course." Emma nodded, watching as the two boys started walking away. "And good luck talking to whoever she is!" She called lightly, causing Jim to look back at her and make a face at her before laughing, and she laughed too.

"Emma Frost!"

Emma stiffened at the sharp voice of a harpy standing directly behind her, looming like an ominous shadow, and then slowly turned to look up at a scowling Lady Tremaine. Within that one second reality coming rushing back at her like a wave in an ocean storm, throwing her under with such ferocity it was disorienting.

"I see you haven't learned your lesson about being late." The woman grabbed Emma's arm and began dragging her down the corridor, away from the Great Hall and off toward the kitchens. "Perhaps an extended detention will help you to remember!"

Water sloshed across the stone floor, bubbles scattering into the air upon the impact. The rhythmic scrubbing noises of the brush going back and forth across the rough flooring was the only sound within the large, empty Great Hall.

Emma had started her extended sentence by skipping lunch and scrubbing all of the floors in the kitchens under the sharp and condescending eyes of the hag herself. Once she'd finished with that in the mid-afternoon, Lady Tremaine had her begin on the Great Hall. Thankfully, the Lady of the Ministry had been called away early on for some private matter, and Emma was allowed to continue her punishment with at least a little bit of peace.

Her knees were bruised and hurting, her back and shoulders aching from the strain of all the work. She sat back on her ankles, trying to stretch her back a bit as she rolled her shoulder. Sighing, she dropped the scrub-brush into the bucket with a splash and got to her feet. She'd been at it for an hour and she'd only managed to get the dais done so far. Looking at the rest of the Hall had her feeling as though she'd never finish, let alone in time for the dinner feast.

Another sigh escaped her, and she looked down to find her reflection looking back up at her. Dirt was smudged across her cheek, and she looked as tired as she felt. This wasn't the first time she'd slowed to a stop and noticed how out of place everything was, how wrong it felt. She tried not to think about it, but she was starting to have that feeling more and more often. Hogwarts wasn't the same school she came to her first year, and she supposed it couldn't possibly be with all that had happened, but she wondered if this was what Hiccup was talking about when he told her he wasn't sure where he belonged.

Maybe she didn't belong here either. Part of her knew it made sense; she was different from the other girls her age, and she wasn't particularly good at the things she was supposed to be good at. She wanted Adventure and... More. Hogwarts, and everyone in it, thought she was strange or downright crazy sometimes, not that she could really blame them too much. Though, it was during these moments of stillness that she missed the Music the most, and wished that she still had someone to talk to who could hear it too.

A clattering noise startled her out of her thoughts, and Emma's head shot up towards the sound. She thought she caught a glimpse of a striped tail disappearing behind something covered with a sheet. She grinned and ran over, jumping the three steps of the dais in a rather unladylike fashion. She looked around the back of whatever piece of furniture had been shoved off into the corner, but there was nothing there, and she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"One day you won't be able to sneak up on me like that." Emma muttered, but then her attention slipped to the sheet-covered thing beside her. Curious, she pulled the dusty sheet off of whatever it was and smiled at what she'd found.

It was a music box! The brass horn on top gleaming with a dulled shine and the box with all it's gears and bits and pieces still looked to be in perfect shape. Emma had thought with the influence of Lady Tremaine and the Ministry that the teachers had gotten rid of all of them, or at least put them away into a deep storage space.

Glancing around at the big, empty hall, Emma reached into her robes and pulled out her wand. With a quick wave and flick, the box came to life with the notes of a piano. She let the instrumental piece play as she went back to the bucket and scrub-brush. Looking into the bucket with less than excitement, Emma's brow lifted at the sight of two brushes. She'd forgotten she'd been given an extra one.

Reaching into the bucket, she pulled out both brushes and sat down on the steps of the dais, smiling as she kicked off her shoes and fitted the hand straps onto her feet. Carefully pushing herself up to her feet, Emma balanced on her watery, soapy skates, reminding herself of the ice-skating lessons Jack gave her almost every winter when they were younger. She used one foot to push off, gliding along the floor. She tried it again, and she was still as steady as she'd be on regular skates. Grinning, Emma started going faster, skating up the center aisle of the Great Hall as she slowly got the hang of her new cleaning method.

Twirling and smiling, Emma lost herself in the music, her hair flowing freely behind her as she sang out the words of the song. Her heart providing the words, Emma skidded past the dais again, swiping up the bucket so she could splash water onto the floor as she went. When she ran out of water, she tossed the bucket onto one of the tables and focused on her skating and singing.

It was the first time she'd really sang since Hiccup had left. Of course she'd hummed a bit, and there was the rebellion against Lady Tremaine the year before where she had been singing along to another voice, but this was just Her and the Music. The Music that called to her, that had faded to near silence.

But in that moment, she felt stronger. Cat was watching over her, and she wasn't going to sit around waiting for someone to give her a shot, or approval. She was going to prove herself, whatever it took to do it.

 _"Like Roses..."_ She breathed as the momentum of her stop had her spinning in lazy twirls right in front of the Great Hall's entry.

Her improvised skating had worked much faster than scrubbing on her knees, but just as the music stopped, Lady Tremaine pushed open the doors of the Hall. The woman's eyes widened in horror, and then narrowed into an angry sneer directed straight at Emma, who still had scrub brushes strapped to her bare-feet and her hair in a mess from skating all around as fast as she could.

"Uh, Hi." Emma gave a small smile that was more of a cringe, offering a little finger wave. Lady Tremaine's vein started popping out of her neck, and Emma prepared herself to think of the most accurate descriptions of the colors Tremaine's face would turn so that she could relay the incident to Venelope and Cupcake later, should they need to compare it as one of the top five contenders.

Lady Tremaine opened her mouth to start screeching, but another voice stopped her. "Lady Tremaine."

Both Tremaine and Emma looked out the doors to see the Guardians gathered together, including Jack, Merida, and Rapunzel. But the one who really caught Emma's attention was the old man with them. His voice had been clipped and proper. He wore extravagant robes and a large hat with a red sash hanging in the back. His grey hair was thick, but trimmed neatly to frame his long face. His expression was calm, unreadable, but Emma knew who he was immediately.

The Prime Minister of the Ministry of Magic, Claude Frollo, made her hackles rise.

"I'm sure the instruction of one child can wait until after the proceedings of our meeting." The Prime Minister said as Lady Tremaine blushed a light pink, curtsying low before the man.

"Oh, o-of course, your Magnificence!" She assured quickly, nodding in agreement with him before he'd even finished speaking.

"As far as I can tell, the Great Hall is clean. So I don't see what further instruction is needed, especially consider this size of a punishment is used for _groups_ of students, not a single student." Bunnymund put in, glaring at Tremaine not-too-subtly. North nodded along with him, uncrossing his arms to gesture to the room as he began speaking.

"Yes, though a bit unconventional for punishment, Miss Frost has fulfilled her duties and is free to go." North stated firmly to the Lady, and then gave a nod and small wink to Emma.

"Miss Frost, you say?" Frollo raised an eyebrow in interest, and Toothiana fluttered forward, resting a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Yes, she's Jack's younger sister." The Fairy smiled, and Sandy nodded vigorously, using his sand to create a bright light and the Ravenclaw crest.

"Quite. In that case, I'm certain an exception can be made." Frollo smiled at her, but it made Emma's stomach curl. "After all, her elder brother is such an upright and promising young gentleman."

"Yes... Prime Minister." Lady Tremaine reluctantly agreed, and North jerked his head toward the door, indicating that Emma should scram before they changed their minds.

She kicked off the scrub brushes and hurried to gather her bag and shoes from the dais. The Guardians started to lead Lady Tremaine and the Prime Minister away, though Claude Frollo paused as he looked back and locked eyes with Emma. She felt her skin crawl and gripped the strap of her bag tighter, but the Prime Minister remained unreadable as he lifted his chin and turned away. Emma slowly followed them out of the Great Hall, letting them go ahead, but as she got to the door, Jack was still waiting for her, looking a little less than happy.

"Emma," He said, expelling a heavy breath as he looked at her.

"What?" Emma groaned, rolling her eyes at her brother, _The_ Jack Frost, being upset about her being in detention. "You know, there was a time you would have been proud to hear I got detention on my first week!"

"Yeah, when I was younger and a lot more stupid!" Jack retorted, his eyes hardening a bit. "And since when do you have so much attitude?"

"Since everyone suddenly decided to become boring and ignorant!" Emma shot back with every drop of sass she could squeeze into her tone.

"Damn it, Emma..." Jack muttered but trailed off with a huff and a shake of his head. Then he looked back up at her face and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I don't have time to talk right now. I have to go to this meeting with the Prime Minister. Just try to stay out of trouble, would you? Mom will be pissed if she thinks I'm not taking care of you."

"Fine." Emma murmured halfheartedly, feeling an ache in her heart. She didn't know how to talk to her brother nowadays. It just seemed like they were always off the mark with each other for more reasons than she could count.

As Jack walked away to join the rest of the Guardians, Lady Tremaine, and the Prime Minister, Emma couldn't help but be concerned for the current state of Hogwarts. She didn't think this partnership with the Ministry was a good idea, but the Guardians and the Aurors couldn't just ignore them and leave them out of it, so she supposed they were stuck with what they had.

Still, Emma didn't like the Prime Minister, and she had no idea what he thought of her.


	9. Game of Survival

**Music:** "Game of Survival" by Ruelle

_NOTES: "God Damn Right, You should be Scared of Me. Who is in Control?..."_

**Chapter 9: Game of Survival**

Sometimes it was hard to believe the incredibly impossible situations he found himself in, but Cat wasn't going to be deterred from saving his friends, despite the odds being stacked so heavily against them.

After Cat managed to formulate a plan of attack that might just work in rescuing his friends, he enlisted the help of Ziggerastica to let them know that he was working on getting them out, though he didn't include all the details of his plan. Cat knew that Talia wouldn't be able to unlock the cells without a wand, and on top of that the Romans had a very consistent habit of enchanting everything and anything against magic. They kept a troupe of wizards within all of their establishments for such purposes. Cat, though, had both the power and skill to break the enchantments and unlock the prisons, so all he had to do to free his friends was to also get captured and thrown into the tower prison.

Talia's warnings about recklessly using his magic did come to mind, especially when Toothless expressed the same concerns as they discussed entering the heavily armed Roman Fort, but Cat shrugged them off. He knew the risks and for his friends he was willing to take them. Besides, he was terrified that if he didn't use his magic, that horrible itching feeling would return and grow worse and worse until he finally couldn't hold it in anymore. A second incident like the one with Tadashi the night he fled was one risk that he wasn't willing to take.

Cat, Toothless, and Hookfang flew over Fort Sinister, peering down from the cover of the clouds. Ziggerastica was settled on Cat's shoulder, eagerly awaiting the battle to come.

 _"Why do we cower here amongst the clouds?! Let us fly into glorious battle and destroy these Human pests!"_ Ziggerastica exclaimed, practically vibrating on Cat's shoulder.

 _"Are you sure I can't eat him?"_ Hookfang growled in annoyance at the little dragon's chatter, but Toothless snorted and rolled his eyes.

 _"You're too picky of an eater; you'd spit him out the second you got a taste and we'd never hear the end of it from him. Besides, we need to stay focused. Avoiding those human contraptions won't be easy with that many fighters."_ Toothless said thoughtfully as his eyes moved with quick and sharp movements, analyzing the scene below.

Vikings are used to fairly simple living conditions: a Chief just has a larger hut than anybody else. Fort Sinister, however, rivaled that of Queen Kappi and her Volcanic Nest, or Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village combined.

The Island of Sinister was surrounded by enormous black cliffs, plunging down into jagged rocks and treacherous currents that crashed with angry roars. On top of these cliffs the Romans had built the biggest Military Fort one could possibly imagine, covering the entire island. The wind shrieked through its awful towers and great grim cages, the sea seeped through its iron gates and into its terrible dungeons; it was a fort as black and bleak as the rocks it was made out of, and in the center of it all was the Consul's palace. A gorgeous villa built around a central courtyard with an ornamental fountain. Next to the palace was an enormous amphitheater, mimicking Rome's Colosseum, and behind that was the soldiers' barracks.

Countless cages of dragons were being held right between the arena and the barracks, and beyond that still were the slaves' quarters, the kitchens, the exercise yards for the horses, and the training grounds for the gladiators. They even had little temples for their different gods, heated swimming baths for the Consul and Senior soldiers, and also giant armories filled to the brim with weapons, ammunition, and gigantic equipment for breaking barricades and destroying field after field of crops.

And this entire, massive area was encircled by high wooden fences with watchtowers manned by sentries every hundred meters. Four humongous observation balloons sailed over the fort, which were powered by the flaming breath of a dragon kept in a cage just above the basket and manned by more sentries keeping a sharp eye out for escapees or invaders.

Seeing the sheer mass and power of the Romans captured in the image of just one fortress made Cat understand why the Roman Empire had conquered most of the world. It also made him question how they hadn't already conquered the Northern Kingdoms, or at least tried.

Swallowing his nerves and refocusing on the task at hand, Cat rest his left hand on Toothless' head for both their comfort. _"Okay, do you all remember the plan?"_ Cat asked them, though he didn't take his eyes off of Fort Sinister. Hookfang rumbled an affirmation, Toothless shifted in preparation for the dive, and Ziggerastica scurried onto the top of Cat's head.

 _"Onward to Battle!"_ He cried.

Time seemed to suspend itself as they tilted downwards, and then they were shooting through the air like arrows of war. Cries of warning over their approach followed only moments after they began their descent from the clouds and barely ten seconds after that arrows were being fired at them from the sentry towers. Hookfang swooped forward and used his fire to bathe the upper part of the wall in flames and after he passed the Roman wizards appeared to put out the fire with water spells. Cat and Toothless aimed towards the dungeons that would give them access to the tower where his friends were being held. They ducked and rolled to avoid arrows and spears, but were caught by surprise when Hookfang roared in shock and a little pain.

Cat looked back to find Hookfang flailing awkwardly in the sky and shaking his head. An arrow was stuck his right left, but Cat couldn't understand why that would be affecting him so horribly. Dragon skins were thick and protective to the point that arrows had almost no affect unless they pierced particularly sensitive areas like wing joints or eyes.

 _"Something's wrong with Hookfang! We have to go help him!"_ Cat said, and Toothless immediately wheeled around, heading back in the direction of the Monstrous Nightmare. They approached as fast as they could while still keeping awareness of their enemies around them, and they were lucky enough that Hookfang's instincts had caused him to fly a bit higher, out of reach of the Roman's arrows. _"Hookfang! What's the matter with you?"_ Cat called out, reaching out to the large dragon, but Hookfang didn't seem to hear him as he continued thrashing, his movements getting slower and more clumsy.

 _"Look out!"_ Toothless shouted, but it was already too late. Hookfang thrashed his wing downward, causing him to jerk toward them, and the three of them collided in a tangled mess that plummeted to the ground.

They crashed with Hookfang and Toothless digging up earth as one fuddled lump, but Cat was thrown from his saddle and hit the earth hard two times before he rolled across the dusty earth on the inside of the Roman Fortress. He gripped his side as he forced himself up onto his elbow, and a pair of boots stepped into his vision, causing Cat to look up at the three huge Roman soldiers that now surrounded him. He looked over at Hookfang and Toothless to find soldiers had also surrounded them and were trying to restrain them with nets and ropes. One soldier raised a bow and arrow at Toothless, who was struggling and fighting against their every move, and shot the Night Fury in the shoulder.

 _"Toothless, NO!"_ Cat screamed, launching himself off the ground to race to his twin-flame, but the soldiers around him immediately grabbed him and forced him back down to the ground. A feral sounding snarl ripped out of Cat's throat without even thinking and it startled the Romans into loosening their hold enough for Cat to slip out and make a break for Toothless.

The soldiers caught him and threw him to the ground just when he'd gotten about half way, this time ignoring his growls as they tied his wrists behind his back. A knee digging into his back and his chin pressed into the rough earth, Cat watched as the Romans muzzled and caged his friends. His brow narrowed as he watched them remove the arrows, surprised by the green tip that glinted in the sun.

It was poisoned. A poison that affected dragons. But how on earth did the Romans discover such a thing?

Before he could contemplate it further, Cat was lifted to his feet. Two soldiers held his arms and shoulders as the third led their small party in the opposite direction of his dragon. Cat fought against them, but the Romans only laughed at his slight frame doing next to nothing against their bulging muscles.

Cat struggled, but no matter what he did, he couldn't break free of their grips. They took him to the slaves' quarters and searched him for weapons, though he didn't have any. They stripped him of everything except his shirt and pants, but when they reached his left arm, intending to take off the bandages, Cat panicked and hissed at them, fighting harder. They were surprised, but didn't allow him any slack this time and proceeded to rip off the bandages.

The Romans' backed away in fear at the sight of the black scales, and Cat dropped to all fours, backing into the corner that they had him in, completely surrounded. They spoke to each other in fast, raised voices that Cat couldn't understand at all, but not because of the language. His sight became sharper and he felt his canines digging into his lower lip, but he wasn't prepared for the giant weight coming down on him from above.

A Roman soldier had jumped off the roof of the storage shed Cat was pressed against, and a small prick met Cat's neck, causing his muscles to loosen of their own accord and his mind to become foggy, though still conscious.

"He's still awake!" One of the soldiers cried as Cat rubbed his neck, feeling confused and sluggish.

"He must be a demon!" Another said.

"No!" A third one silenced them. "He rides a dragon, he speaks in their tongue! He must be of them! We should take him to the Consul immediately!"

And that is precisely what they did. Resuming their earlier positions, though more wary in making physical contact with Cat now that they'd seen his arm, they dragged him to the palace at the center of the Fort and all the way to an extravagant throne room where the Fat Consul was enjoying a feast served to him by more than a dozen slaves.

"Your excellence! We have brought you one of the creatures that attacked the fortress just an hour ago!" The lead soldier announced as all three of them dropped to kneel before the Consul, allowing Cat to fall onto his hands and knees from the weakness of what he assumed was the same poison they'd used on Hookfang and Toothless.

"Creature, Hmmm?" The Fat Consul's eyes narrowed as he stared at Cat for a long moment, and then his giant bottom lip stuck out in a pout. "I see no creature! I only see a slave boy who isn't working!"

"No, my majestic one! Only look a little closer; his arm has scales like the dragon he rode into battle! He speaks in their tongue!" The soldier insisted, but the Fat Consul looked doubtful until the man yanked Cat's arm forward to reveal his shame before the fairly crowded room. Gasps and exclamation met the presentation, followed quickly by harsh and hurried whispers.

"What _is_ it?" The Fat Consul sputtered around a half-chewed mouthful and then shoved another handful of food into his mouth.

"He must be a dragon!" A Centurion, standing to the Consul's left, proclaimed confidently.

"But how does it make itself look like a boy?!" The Fat Consul questioned, his eyes searching Cat for any other sign of being _Not Human_.

"Perhaps it has been cursed?" The Centurion suggested, eyeing Cat in a way that made his skin crawl even in his drugged-state.

"Magic doesn't work on dragons! That is why we pay those Dragon Hunters from the North to supply us with dragons!" The Fat Consul argued, and with what vague consciousness Cat had, he wondered what the Roman was talking about. Who were these Dragon Hunters?

"Perhaps he is the same as the War Lord that the Barbarians fear." The soldier next to Cat offered, and the room instantly grew quite. The Fat Consul slowly smiled as he continued looking at Cat.

"Well, whatever the case, I now have a Dragon Boy for my slave." He said, tapping a finger against his sauce-covering chin. "Throw him into the Lion's Den! We'll test him to see if he really is a Dragon Boy, and he'll be entertainment for my dinner!" The Fat Consul finally decided, and Cat felt his stomach drop, his stupor fading slightly as terror shot through his bloodstream.

"Of course, your excellence!" The soldiers bowed, quickly grabbing at Cat to do as they were told while the Fat Consul smiled and clapped excitedly and the Centurion beside him grinned wickedly.

Cat had heard tales of the Romans' cruelty. Their games and gladiators that resulted in people being torn limb from limb. Their battles in which they pit different creatures against each other until one of them died. Their vicious Dragon Fights that were still fairly new to the land as they didn't start pitting dragon against dragon until Cat was plenty old enough to understand what the Traders were discussing when mentioning the Romans' and their arenas.

The Lion's Dens were of the more popular events discussed by Traders and travelers wanting to share stories of the Southern Empire. Starved and furious beasts that could rip a man in two before he even blinked. It was basic entertainment in Rome, occurring the most often and open to the most people. Everyone watched the Lion's Den events. Usually such a game would be played with petty criminals in order to instill fear for the sake of maintaining order under the law.

Cat felt his own fear rising as the soldiers dragged him toward the amphitheater instead of toward the tower prison where he was supposed to end up. He hadn't even used his magic, and somehow he'd been doomed to death as entertainment for the Romans instead of imprisoned alongside his pirate comrades. But he supposed that was the curse of... Whatever he was.

They reached the arena's wall and they dragged him over to a door that was two steps down, opening into a pit-like cell with two entrances: the door Cat got pushed through from the outside of the arena, and the large wooden gate that would open into the fighting ring whenever the Romans' decided they were ready to feed their lions. The guards removed Cat's bounds, but pricked him with another needle coated in whatever poison they were using, making his body weak and unable to move. They left him laying on the dusty, dirty ground, laughing as they went and slammed the door behind them.

Cat's head was pounding, his pulse twitching through his whole body, and there was an incessant buzzing that grated along his eardrums, informing him of the magically reinforced locks and walls. His magic was reacting rather violently to being surrounded by other magic, because of course it couldn't just play nice for once, and the extra shot of poison mixed with his anxiety from the Consul's sentence made him feel sick; his stomach rolling unpleasantly and his nose running as his eyes burned.

He wasn't sure how long he was there for, it felt like only a few minutes because he was so focused on not throwing up, but he assumed it was probably longer since they had to move that Fat Consul all the way from the palace to the arena. Still, the guards returned far too soon for Cat's liking, bursting through the door with loud voices and throwing a bucket of ice cold water on him. He coughed and sputtered as one of them grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet, forcing him to stand. Another one shoved some kind of awful smelling powder right under his nose.

Cat reeled backwards away from the scent, his nose instinctively snorting a few times to try and get rid of the scent that invoked feelings of _Danger_ and _Death_! The water and the stench of the powder combined effectively chased away the effects of the poison, but left him shaking from the ups and downs of all the drugs in his system. He rubbed at his nose, trying to get rid of the tickly feeling, but his head snapped up when the door slammed shut again.

As soon as the locks were in place, the gate behind him opened, flooding his prison with sunlight and the roar of a crowd. Cat stood there for a long moment, sweating and breathing hard through his nose, but then he slowly turned around, his eyes wide as the rush of everything came at him as if he were under water, but also sharpened at the same time somehow.

The noise was deafening as the Romans screamed and shouted, some of them banging weapons against the wall of the arena they were leaning over from their seats. Cat took one shaky step, and then another, and then another, until he was standing out in the center of the arena, surrounded by bloodthirsty warriors.

And he stood there alone.

The noise somehow managed to increase as the sound of another gate, the one directly across from Cat himself, broke through the air. Growls and rumbles reached his ears as four sets of amber eyes appeared in the shadows of the cage, staring out at him. The lions walked out of the shadows, fanning out from each other as they got closer to him, circling and enclosing him. Cat could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears as one of them shook his magnificent mane and _Roared_.

His body moving on it's own accord, Cat dropped to all fours and hissed, baring his teeth at the lions that caught to close to him as they continued circling, watching him. One of the females leaped at him from behind and Cat rolled under her to avoid her deadly claws, only to find another one swiping at him from the left. He back pedaled and escaped most of the attack, but received a scratch on his upper arm. He looked down at the wound and then snarled back at the lion who had given him the injury. She only roared back at him.

A weight slammed into him from behind, and Cat found himself rolling in a lock with a young, but large male. He swiped at the lions muzzle and caught the beast's nose with his right hand, but the lion caught all four claws down Cat's back.

Cat yelled at the pain and swung around with his left hand, cutting deep into the lion's shoulder with his dragon-like claws. The lion roared and leaped away, limping slightly on that leg, and Cat rolled back to his feet, agitated and furious physically, but his mind was stuck in a haze of confusion. The lions sensed his hesitation and moved to circle him once again.

The largest beast growled at him as he drew closer, cautiously approaching as he looked for an opening. Cat backed away a little, but then looked into the animals eyes, and everything rushed into slow motion. Cat's took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, his heart rate suddenly steady as he reached out his left arm and radiated _Peace_. The lion seemed to pause and consider him, no longer growling, but he still moved forward, his eyes tracking Cat's movements as his own muscles coiled in preparation for a lunge.

Cat switched tactics and rose to his feet, holding out his arm firmly and putting off _Dominance_.

This made all of the lions stop. The lead lion took a step back, lowering his head, and Cat eyed him for a moment before lowering his open palm to the large feline. The lion hesitated, but then stepped forward and nuzzled Cat's palm.

Cat released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and a small smirk slipped onto his mouth as the head lion and his pride drew close. But this time, it was not with an intent to kill, but to nuzzle and welcome him into their small pride.

Cat collapsed among the gathered lions, exhausted and struggling to find some sense of control over himself. The Romans, who had gone partially quiet during the fight, suddenly exploded into noise as they questioned and exclaimed over what had just transpired. If Cat didn't feel like utter shit, he'd probably have questions too, but for now he was willing to leave his new discovery for later.

For now, he would enjoy the lions' peaceable attitude toward him as a fellow... _Creature_ , and try to ignore the burning sensation of his blood oozing from his cuts and scrapes.

The Romans, for the most part, were displeased by the outcome of the fight. They wanted to see the boy ripped apart! But now the lions coddled him? It wasn't what they'd wanted at all. Luckily, or unluckily, the Fat Consul, though not particularly thrilled by the fight, seemed amused by the fight.

"So the Dragon Boy has fighting skills," He said thoughtfully. "Set him against our mighty tiger and fearsome Calydonian boar! Surely he won't be able to tame them! And give him more of the Gladiators' powder! If he can put up a fight, we might have a new Gladiator for Fort Sinister!"

And fight he did. Cat was given another, larger dose of the powder, making him even more agitated to the point of losing control over his eyes, which lost their white in favor of taking an entirely dragon-like appearance instead of being limited to only his slit pupils. His senses were going mad and his instincts driving him to follow a false adrenaline rush.

The Romans put him in the ring against their tiger, and with his mind clouded, Cat struggled to make a connection the tiger. He received several injuries, which he received from being unable to proper out put the correct emotions to communicate. He switched to a defensive tactic, allowing the tiger to wear itself down by chasing after him, and once he no longer had the rush of having to gain control and fight at the same time, Cat was able to make a connection with the feline.

Next they sent their bear, but they were attentive this time. Not only did they give Cat another dosage of the powder, but they also gave some to the boar, filling them both with agitation and aggression. With his control hanging by a string, Cat entered the ring with the boar. It was huge with razor sharp tusks and a bad attitude underneath the aggression inducing dust. The fight that resulted was vicious; bloody cuts and stabs, ripped hair, blunt force. Blood splattered the arena floor and the side walls as they tussled, the boar tossing Cat to and fro. But Cat managed to take hold of the boar's tusks, much like he would with Hookfang's horns, and used them to throw the boar off balance and drive him into the dirt. It all made Cat's veins burn with his magic. The itchy feeling returning to his left hand was the only thing the was able to cut through the rage-filled haze, and in the end, he managed to end the fight by knocking the beast out instead of killing it, much to the Romans' frustration.

In response, they sent a pack of Crocotta. The drugged canines had no sense left to them, if they had any to begin with after all of the abuse suffered within the Romans' games, but Cat wasn't any better in that moment. Any human consciousness he possessed was buried under a primal and furious haze of battle. So when the pack of five came running at him, Cat only growled low in his throat and attacked. They collided in an explosion of fur, claws, growls, teeth, and bloodthirsty eyes.

He felt claws scraping into his skin, teeth cutting into his muscle tissue, and blood dripping from every wound. His vision blurred around the edges, tunneling in on only the fight. Biting, clawing, ripping, and tearing. It was pure chaos. And somewhere in it all, a swell of satisfaction blossomed in Cat's chest when he felt his claws slash open one of the Crocotta's hips, cutting long and jagged lines down the creature's back leg. The yelp and whine that followed sent a thrill through his bloodstream and he opened his mouth, bearing his fangs. The Crocotta fell because of the injury and lay there defenseless, and Cat raised his left hand to finish it.

Then he stopped, hand raised mid air.

The other Crocotta had fled to the edges of the arena, their tails tucked between their back legs in fear as they cowered and watched him with fear, covered in their own blood. The one before him lay frozen, staring at him. And something in him remembered the feeling that broke through the fury.

Slowly, he allowed his hand to lower down to the earth, taking a step back, and the Crocotta scrambled clumsily to it's feet, racing away from him in fear. The satisfaction returned in Cat's chest, and he shrieked at the Crocottas and Romans alike.

The bloodied Crocottas cowered further into the shadows, while the Romans cheered.

Cat stood at the center, breathing hard, but the foul scent of copper filling his nose and mouth broke through his animalistic state, cutting into his mind as sharp as any knife. Blood covered the bottom half of his face, his mouth was full of it with bits of fur caught in between his teeth. His stomach rolled violently and his head spun as he looked down at his hands to find them covered in blood up to his elbows.

And for just a moment he wasn't in the Roman arena anymore, but in a cold and lonely bathroom surrounded by shattered glass.

Cat squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head vigorously as he cried out in a wail, but he was returned to reality when a rope came around his neck, tightening and yanking him backwards into the dirt. The Roman who had lassoed him drawing closer to tie him up, and Cat let him. He didn't have the strength, or the will, to fight against it in that moment.

They bound him and dragged him from the arena, the Roman's screaming for more action. In response, the Fat Consul shouted out to the crowd with a joyous grin, waving about a leg of lamb.

"Peace, my subjects! I assure you that the Dragon Boy will return to the arena tomorrow for a fight against not only some of our finest Gladiators, but also our fiercest dragons!" The Fat Consul announced, and a roar of approval met his words.

Cat felt tears tracking tiny paths through the blood and dirt that covered his face as the Roman soldiers hauled him off to who-knows-where, and then he threw up.


	10. Monster

**Music:** "Monster" by Imagine Dragons

_NOTES: Monsters don't sleep under your bed, they Scream inside your Head..._

**Chapter 10: Monster**

"This is bad." Eret murmured from where he stood behind Talia, who was crouched down to listen to the little Nanodragon that had brought the original message from Cat. "It's been three days with no sign of Cat since that commotion he caused, and now all we've got for a clue is this tiny lizard?"

"Hush!" Talia argued, swatting him away. "Maybe he can tells us where they're keeping Cat. How about it, little guy? Do you know where Cat is?" She spoke slow, hoping the little creature would understand.

Whether he did or didn't, he seemed to be angry for some reason or another, but he shot over to the small, barred window and pointed down with his tail. Talia hurried over to look in the direction he was pointing and then gasped.

"The Amphitheater," Talia said, the color draining from her face as Eret took a step towards them, looking concerned as he dropped his arms from where they'd be crossed over his chest. "Cat's being kept at the arena?"

The Nanodragon nodded firmly and then sat down with a huff. Talia looked over at Eret, terrified and distraught, but the Pirate Captain didn't let his emotion show. If they were going to get out of this cluster-fuck, he was going to need a clear head.

"We need to get out of here and save Cat. The gods willing, we may still be able to get to him before they turn him into one of their Gladiators." Eret said, knowing it would give Talia and the men hope, but also that it was highly unlikely. _"Just hold on a little longer, kid. We're coming for you."_ He thought to himself.

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, yeah! We should totally do that! You know, let's just go! Oh Wait, We _Can't_!" Sinbad jeered, holding his arms out to either side in question. "That kid of yours was supposed to be _our_ rescue! How exactly do you plan to get out of here, let alone go save _him_?"

"Well, we're just going to have to do things the old fashioned way!" Eret retorted and then smirked at the other Captain. "Unless you're losing your edge and can't manage a simple escape plan?"

" _Simple Escape Plan_? This is suicide! This has nothing to do with me or my edge!" Sinbad rebutted, but Eret rolled his eyes at the other man.

"You can stay here if you like, but as for me and mine, we're getting out of here. And I mean _All_ of mine." He emphasized, and then turned to the others. "Gather round, I have an idea that with enough luck might just work."

Kale, Sinbad's firstmate, walked over to stand beside him as they both stared at the BlueBlazer Captain and his crew.

"They're crazy, right? It's not me?" Sinbad said, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Maybe they are, but the way I see it; we either die as Roman slaves, or we can take a chance on getting out of here with a crew full of heart." Kale replied, letting his gaze slide over to Sinbad, who stared at him with a deadpanned expression.

"Fine!" Sinbad shouting, gaining everyone's attention. "But if we die, I'm blaming you!" He pointed and accusing finger at Kale, and the rest of his crew gave hearty agreements.

Eret smirked. Too predictable.

* * *

Ziggerastica flapped hard as he bobbed up and down in flight. Zipping past sentries and scurrying along walls behind guards' feet, he was able to go from one side of the compound to the other without a soul noticing him. Because of his size advantage, he had no trouble slipping into the storehouse-type structure that housed nearly hundreds of dragons, all of them caged behind bars that would not melt or break no matter how much fire they used.

Ziggerastica scuttled across the floor to one cage in particular where Toothless lay waiting for him. The Night Fury's eyes were closed as if he were sleeping, but anyone with half a brain would be wary of the lethal dragon even if he was really asleep. However, in this case, Ziggerastica knew he was awake. Toothless was letting off enough _Aggression_ that Ziggerastica thought that maybe even those stupid humans could feel it.

It was clear to every dragon in that glorified storage house that the Night Fury was livid about being separated from his Twin-Flame.

 _"I have done as you instructed, Fury of the Night!"_ Ziggerastica announced, stepping through the bars of the cage as Toothless opened his eyes and slowly uncoiled from his curled up position. The Night Fury loomed over the tiny dragon as he continued speaking. _"I still don't understand why you wanted me to tell those insolent humans where your Strange-Kin has been, but they now know."_

 _"They are part of our pack and will be escaping with us."_ Toothless growled, his firm tone leaving no room for question or argument. It seemed to even sober the flamboyancy of Ziggerastica just a little bit. _"You've only seen my Same-Soul in the humans' fighting circle. Follow him from there. Find out where they are keeping him."_

 _"And how do you plan to get to him once you've found out where he is?"_ Ziggerastica remarked as less of a question and more of a way to try and lessen Toothless' commanding air.

 _"I'll take care of that on my own."_ Toothless rumbled lowly, his eyes glinting with danger as he glared at something Ziggerastica couldn't see. _"You stay focused on your task. You want to be free of your life-debt? Then help me rescue my Half-of-Me."_

Ziggerastica didn't speak anymore after that. He scurried away to do all that he'd been told to do, and Toothless turned to curl back up on the floor of the cage. He couldn't sleep, not without his Other Half. So he stayed awake, feigning sleep as he watched and waited for the right moment.

These humans would regret taking his boy from him.

* * *

His ears were ringing. A sharp, continuous pierce that droned through his head surrounded by the endless roaring of the clouds, the pounding of his own heart, and the rasps of his own labored breath.

Blood oozed from a gash on his right bicep, but he didn't feel the pain. All he knew was the red stain to his vision and the blurred figure of the Hookfang. They were both suffering from the effects of the Romans' drug, unable to restrain themselves and unable to recognize each other beyond the familiarity of their scents, but it only tickled at the back of Cat's mind, small and pushed away by unnatural substance so that it couldn't form into a complete and coherent thought that would help him to stop this fighting.

Hookfang flailed and swung his head about wildly, knowing that the poison was doing these things to his head. He was older and stronger, his full-blooded dragon nature resisting the drug much more than Cat could, but unfortunately not enough. The two went back and forth, exchanging blows, but neither of them aiming to kill. Somewhere, deep inside, their instincts knew they were of the same flock.

That didn't stop Cat from lunging at Hookfang's head when it got too close.

He grabbed onto the Monstrous Nightmare's horns as Hookfang threw his head this way and that, trying to shake Cat off. Cat held tight and managed to get a good grip on each horn, twisting Hookfang's neck and driving his face into the ground so hard it left a trench. Cat leaped off and crouched on all four, shrieking victory as Hookfang slumped, too exhausted to keep going.

The crowd got louder, but after a few minutes of Cat pacing back and forth, still livid but his subconscious unwilling to kill, soldiers entered the arena. Cat snarled at them, ready to fight, but they boxed him against the wall and then lassoed his neck, yanking him into the dirt in a similar way he'd done to Hookfang.

Within moments they had him restrained and a small prick brought the relief of the numbing agent that cooled the aggression of the war drug, but made Cat's mind groggy and his magic like tar in his veins.

It was the same cycle every day for the past three days; the drug that turned him into a wild animal without any control at all, and then the numbing medicine that made him feel helpless as the Romans bound him with ropes and dragged him away to get bandaged and bathed. Bathed being a loose term as they usually just threw a bucket of ice water on him and considered that clean enough.

He constantly felt sick and weighed down with the guilt of every battle he fought. He couldn't think. He could barely keep track of the number of days that had passed.

When they were finished with him, they brought him to the throne room in the palace. In the center of the room, the Romans had set up a giant bird cage made of gold and decorated with cushions and fur soft furs on the bottom. The facade of being comfortable was nearly laughable as they secured chains, also made of gold, to his neck and wrists. The chains were enchanted so that if he tried to use his magic, they would absorb it and send it back, shocking him with the same amount of strength he tried to use.

And, worst of all, was the muzzle. A contraption made of leather straps and metal bits that they forced over his mouth, securing it at the back of his head where he couldn't reach while restrained by the chains. He fought hardest against that damned muzzle, but no matter how hard he tried, they always fastened it over his head, and he couldn't get it off.

Today the Fat Consul held court with his senior soldiers and a few other Roman officials visiting the secluded Fortress. Cat heard bits and pieces of conversations as they circled the cage, eying him like a wild animal put on display for their enjoyment... But he supposed that's exactly what he was.

There were political talks and several of them had to do with the Fat Consul bragging about possibly bringing Cat to the capital as a gift for the King, but of course he would need to finish training the creature so it could be useful on the battlefront. Other suggested bringing him to the Colosseum for all of Rome's entertainment.

It made him shrink into a ball on all fours in the very center of the cage so he could be as far from all of the circling Romans as possible. His muscles strained in preparation to lash out should anything get too close, and the metal clasp around his neck itched, but he ignored it and kept his focus on the Romans' feet. He couldn't meet their eyes. Couldn't stand to acknowledge the looks that told him things he was terrified were true.

Instead he focused on his strategy, trying to hold onto whatever little bits of power he could manage to salvage in such a humiliating state. By staying in the center of the cage where they could not reach or touch him, he could force them to enter what little territory they'd given him. They'd have to enter the cage themselves to get to him, and, even if it was only a tiny bit, it would level the playing field just a bit more. It would open the door to him, even if the chains kept him from running through it.

The Romans did not take the challenge. The nobles mostly because they still retained some fear of him, the soldiers and Centurions looked at him in amusement as they actually recognized his tactics and stayed well away from the door of the cage.

The Fat Consul's party lasted only about two hours before all the nobility decided to wander off to the bathes. They left the throne room, leaving Cat in blissful solitude. The silence filled the room, Cat remaining unmoving within the cage as his heart _Ached_. Across the room were large double-doors to an extravagant balcony that overlooked the training grounds and gave a view that reached all the way out to the sea.

Cat felt a whisper of a breeze and the Call of the Wild, and it _Hurt_ that he couldn't follow it.

"Well, I can't say that I'm surprised, but I am quite saddened to see what's become of you, _Hiccup_." Cat's head snapped up and whirled around as _Threat!_ poured into his mind and his hackles rose.

Pitch Black stood just on the other side of the bars of his cage, his expression held the softness of an exasperated teacher and a sadness that Cat presumed to be false. Cat hissed at the Dark Sorcerer, bearing his teeth at him even around the awkward metal bits. He growled, but Pitch only leaned forward to rest his elbows on one of the horizontal bars, amused.

"Now, now, behave little pet." Pitch smiled at him mockingly. "That is what you are now, isn't it? All that talk about freedom and never going back to another cage! Now look at you..." Pitch trailed off softly, shaking his head.

Cat stepped backwards, fully facing Pitch, ready to lunge if he made the slightest move, but they both knew it was futile while the chains remained secured on him.

"I tried to warn you, Hiccup." Pitch carried on, ignoring the snarls as he slid on hand along the horizontal bar, circling the cage. Cat moved too, refusing to let Pitch get behind him. "This world will _Never_ accept what you are. To them you are nothing but a beast, a monster, to be either tamed or destroyed at any cost. But... My offer still stands." He finished as he stopped, turning to face Cat fully again. This time he stood between Cat and the doors to the balcony.

 _"No! You're Wrong!"_ Is what Cat would have shouted at him were it not for the muzzle keeping him from speaking, so he settled for another snarl and a glare.

"Think of what I'm willing to give you, dear child," Pitch said, opening his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. "You will never have to suffer the pain and humiliation of these chains and cages ever again! You will stand by my side as a treasured student and have command over my armies! Now, I will admit that as my student you will have duties and obligations to attend to, and I will tolerate nothing less than complete obedience, but I assure you: You will find no master as generous to you as I."

Cat snorted, jerking his whole head with the action. He refused to serve any master whether that be the Romans, Pitch Black, or even the Guardians. He would do everything in his power to defy that destiny.

"You may think you have a choice in this, boy," Pitch said lowly, his patience wearing thin at Cat's continued glowering. "But mark my words; You are a creature of Destruction. Your power can only be controlled and used probably under the firm and proper guidance of a master. It has always been your _Destiny_ to serve under me, Hiccup. Our fates are intertwined. And so long as you go without my Dominion and Protection, you will be hunted down, chained, caged, and abused by everyone else in this whole world. You can choose to be a willing servant, or suffer the rest of your life in slavery."

Cat looked away, squeezing his eyes shut tight as he tried to push the words out of his mind, but they were hard to ignore with the clasps chafing against his neck and wrists.

"When you are ready, I will be waiting for you with open arms, my dear boy." Pitch grinned as he backed away from the cage, the shadows consuming all except his eyes, which were the last to disappear.

Cat sagged in exhaustion and despair when he could no longer sense Pitch Black's presence. The weight of the chains was heavier than before, and past insecurities came rushing back all at once.

He couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever truly be free...


	11. The First Challenge

**Music:** "Wind in my Hair (Reprise)" from Tangled the Series

_NOTES: Follow your Dreams. Even if it means Standing Alone._

**Chapter 11: The First Challenge**

_The ground was solid, but covered in a thin sheet of dirt with the consistency of dust or powder. Muffled roaring, like waves crashing into a cliff-side filled the air, and the stench of sweat and copped was suffocating. Adrenaline pulsed through veins that felt as though they were on fire, and she felt her heart pounding in her chest as the screeching of metal hinges echoed with the opening of a large wooden gate._

_Inside the darkness of the cage were two bright green eyes with black slits for pupils._

_A sudden pain stabbed in her forehead and she put her hand to it, trying to ease the migraine as she kept her eyes on those eyes. She felt a desperate need to know who those eyes belonged to, but the person wouldn't move forward out of the shadows. She took a step forward to try and reach out, but the pain in her head left her swaying side to side._

_She looked up and locked gazes with those eyes again, and then sharp, white teeth flashed in the darkness as a terrible shriek split the air -!_

Rapunzel's eyes snapped open as she sucked in a tight breath, her body still but her heart was pounding. She couldn't remember the details, but she knew she'd had the dream before and that it had something to do with an arena.

She presumed it was a subconscious anxiety over the fast-approaching First Challenge. Though she wished she could at least remember what the sense of urgency was from. Adrenaline from a fight or flight response seemed natural from a nightmare about a coming tournament in which she'd possibly be risking her life, but the urgency left her feeling as though she'd forgotten something important. A critical piece of information that had her mind and heart wondering about what was missing from the picture that she could no longer see or remember all that well.

Despite the disappointing outcome the nightmare generated, Rapunzel pushed herself out of bed and started getting ready for the day. It was only two days before the First Challenge was supposed to take place and she had a lot to do before then; homework deadlines would wait for no one especially concerning upper classmen, the Guardians had requested her attendance to another meeting along with Jack and Merida, and on top of it all she'd been training with Cassandra, Eugene, Jack, Merida, and a few of her other friends for the tournament. And on top of all that she had her duties and lessons at the Hospital Wing to attend to.

A few minutes later she was dressed and ready for the day, starting with breakfast before the follow up meeting North had called for to discuss their meeting with the Prime Minister. Teaming with the Ministry in the race to find Pitch was proving to be rather difficult in multiple circumstances, but mostly because they were so resistant to letting Rapunzel, Merida, and Jack do anything with the Guardians.

Prime Minister Frollo expressed great concern for their well-being and insisted they remain at the school as a last line of defense rather than out in the battlefield. Rapunzel didn't like this at all. Being shut up inside didn't sit well with her for many reasons, including a few that were admittedly personal, but also because it was putting a massive strain on the Guardians. In the first War, the Guardians had so much help from companions and comrades, and the Guardians themselves had been a much larger group. Now the Ministry expected the four Hogwarts Professors to find and defeat Pitch Black before he returned to power. Rapunzel, though, couldn't stop thinking about how powerful he was already.

Dressed in her uniform and ready to take on the day, Rapunzel marched out of the Hufflepuff dormitory and started making her way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Jack and Eugene were at the top of the stairs just outside the Great Hall when Rapunzel got there, and they smiled at her, greeting her with good morning wishes.

"Good morning to you too," Rapunzel smiled at them. "What are you two doing out here when all of the food is in there?" She asked curiously. The boys shared a looked, Eugene looked concerned, but Jack rolled his eyes and faced Rapunzel directly.

"We were talking about the Tournament starting on Saturday. How are you feeling about it?" He cocked his head to the side a bit, leaning most of his weight onto his staff.

"Alright, I suppose," Rapunzel shrugged, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I guess I'm a little nervous, but I don't even know what the challenge is. I think I'm more worried about the meeting this morning."

"See? What did I tell you?" Jack smirked at Eugene, obviously having gotten the upper in their dispute if Eugene's pout was anything to go off of.

"Am I the only one concerned about the fact that people have literally _DIED_ in this tournament before?!" Eugene questioned a bit loudly. "Don't you people have any sense of self-preservation at all?"

"You're talking to two of the kids who faced off with a Dark Sorcerer in the Dungeons during their first year. Self-preservation isn't really our thing." Jack drawled, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"What Jack is trying to say is that it's kind of hard to be scared of a tournament considering what we've already been through." Rapunzel told him, placing a hand on his bicep as she looked up into his eyes.

"Speak for yourself, I got stabbed!" Eugene argued, taking Rapunzel's hand in both of his as he met her gaze. "Look, I know you can take care of yourself, but just promise me you'll be careful. Especially with all the Guardian stuff going on, too. If it ever gets to be too much, you'll let someone know, won't you?"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel interrupted before he could go off on a tangent. "I'll be careful. I promise."

"Oi!" All three of them turned to find Merida standing at the entrance to the Great Hall with her hands on her hips. "You'd best hurry up if you want to get any food before the meeting. North will have a fit if we're late, and I don't know about all of you, but I sure don't want my stomach grumbling while getting told what to do."

"Merida's right, let's get some breakfast!" Rapunzel agreed, walking between the boys and rushing over to the red head. Rapunzel linked elbows with Merida as Jack and Eugene followed a bit more slowly. They found seats at the Slytherin table and enjoyed a fairly uneventful breakfast, listening to gossip between the three schools and chatting with Elsa and Anna when they passed by.

Rapunzel was excited to compete with Elsa in the tournament. She knew that the friendly competition with her cousin would be a lot of fun, though perhaps a bit more challenging. Where Elsa had grown greater understanding of her powers and was learning how to better control them, Rapunzel had lost her extra magical-edge and it made her wonder, not for the first time that year, if just her was enough.

About half an hour before breakfast was over, Rapunzel left the Great Hall to go attend the meeting with the Guardians alongside Merida and Jack. The three were mostly silent as they walked briskly through the halls and into North's office with no trouble at all. They strolled in to find all four of their Guardian mentors already there and waiting for them.

"Ahh! There you are!" North exclaimed, waving his hands about even though they were both full of documents he'd been pouring over with Sandy. "Sit, sit, sit! Sooner we begin, the sooner we can all get to class, eh?"

Rapunzel sat down in one of the comfy armchairs, crossing her ankles. Merida sat down in the chair next to her and crossed her legs on top of the seat while Jack perched himself on top of a railing with his legs dangling lazily. Toothiana fluttered near Sandy beside the desk that North stood behind, and Bunnymund stood with his arms crossed on the opposite side, rolling his eyes.

"Well, there's certainly a lot to talk about, what with the Prime Minister yanking on everyone's leashes, or should I say _nooses_?" Bunny growled, his eyes hard. Whiskers twitching.

"Bunny," Toothiana chided, but her tone was soft with sympathy. Sandy nodded his head agreement, gentle chimes ringing with it.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?! Frollo's done everything in his power to limit our resources and restrict our movement to ensure our continued reliance on the Ministry! With all this damn red tape, Pitch will overthrow the whole bloody world before we can get his approval to do anything beyond basic searches!" The Pooka exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air and then balling his hands into fists.

"Are you really going to restrict us on how much we can help fight against Pitch?" Merida broke in, her brow furrowed and her jaw set. Her snapping blue eyes flicked between each of the Guardians.

"The Prime Minister, as well as the Ministry as a whole, does not like the idea of the Guardians as we are a powerful institution that can rival the Ministry. It lessens their influence over the Allied Kingdoms. Forcing us into working with them is their way of establishing order, but that order makes processing slower. In short; it's nearly impossible to keep up with Pitch, let alone stop him from doing anything." Toothiana explained, sighing heavily.

"So, what was all that about the Ministry being concerned about our involvement as students in the Guardians mission to find and stop Pitch?" Jack questioned, lifting an eyebrow at the older wizards.

"It is the best opportunity they have for convincing us to conform to their rules." North told them, dropping the papers on his desk and resting his fists on the flat surface. "Because you are still legally children, the Ministry has a large say in what you can and can do outside of school. They say they respect our choosing you to be the New Guardians, but they also say that it isn't safe for young children to be battling against Pitch Black. Based on the papers the Prime Minister left with me, they have requested we remove all three of you from the mission completely."

"What?!" Merida exclaimed, launching out of her seat and onto her feet in outrage.

"They can't be serious!" Jack argued, also jumping off the railing to stand up against such talk.

Rapunzel remained seated, but her fists clenched in her lap and she bit her lip. She didn't think it was fair for the Ministry to restrict them, but she wanted to hear what the Guardians had to say and what they planned to do. Maybe they'd found a way around it.

"I am afraid they are," North said gravely.

"Not only that, but the Prime Minister has decided that because of Pitch, he's going to enforce laws against the Ruffians and Pirates. He'll either drive them out and we'll have even less resources for hunting down Pitch through underground channels, or they'll turn aggressive towards anyone associated with the Ministry in retaliation for their people being hanged." Bunny added.

"Pirates are the least of our concerns with Pitch on the loose." North pointed out, but Bunnymund snorted.

"Speak for yourself! John Silver was a good informant during the War, he never once gave me bad information. Our ties with the Ministry will shrivel what little connection we have left with the underground." Bunny retorted, but Toothiana flew in between him and North before they could continue.

"Enough! Now isn't the time to be arguing about this. If the Prime Minister is busy with his Pirates and Ruffians, then maybe we'll have a little more freedom to track down Pitch. Besides, we still have to determine what our response to the Ministry's demands will be." She reasoned, which seemed to work well enough as both North and Bunny settled a little bit, even if they didn't look entirely happy about it.

"You can't actually be thinking about taking us off this mission," Jack said, taking a few steps forward to remind the adults of their presence. "This missions means something to all of us! We've been a part of this since our first year!"

"I know, Jack. I swear you will not be removed from the mission entirely, but as of right now we are not in a position to bargain with the Ministry." North told him, placing a large hand on his shoulder. "You and Merida will take part in the searches as you have, but for the time being you will have to take defensive roles only during battles." He said firmly, fixing Jack and Merida with a hard look.

"What about me?" Rapunzel finally spoke out. She didn't intend to speak, but her throat and vocal chords seemed to have a different idea.

"The Ministry has shown particular concern for your well being, Rapunzel. After losing the power of the Sun Drop in the battle against Pitch and his generals, and now with you taking part in the tournament. They're adamant that you stay out of the fighting." Toothiana explained gently, trying to soften the blow.

"We have discussed it, and we think it would be best if you continued your medical training with Dr. Sweet and used your free time to prepare for the tournament. It will be less strenuous, and less dangerous. Also, such a compromise will hopefully appease the Ministry enough to allow us some peace." North put in as Rapunzel looked between each of her mentors with wide eyes.

They looked worn and helpless to defy the Ministry. Merida and Jack looked worried and upset, though they stayed silent as they waited to hear what she had to say. Rapunzel felt her heart tightening at the thought: stuck inside all over again.

"But why only me?" Rapunzel wanted to know, looking to her teachers for answers. Bunnymund looked as he normally looked during these meetings: grumpy and frustrated. Toothiana and Sandy were looked torn between the need for the mission and wanting to offer her more. North simply looked gruff and a little old.

"I am sorry, Rapunzel. For now, this is the best that we can do in light of what the Ministry has ordered. It will also assure the other schools that we, as Guardians, will remain impartial towards the tournament." North sighed, his stony face melting a little to show sympathy for her. His words, though, confirmed what Rapunzel had already been thinking.

They were hardened soldiers who had fought these battles before. They knew the sacrifice it took, and the dedication needed to succeed. They wouldn't be able to defeat someone as ruthless as Pitch without taking every measure possible to get ahead.

"I understand." Rapunzel murmured, giving a small nod. Jack and Merida looked like they wanted to argue, but didn't know how.

"If that is true, then we have much more to discuss," North announced, effectively turning their meeting towards other matters, but Rapunzel's mind stayed locked on her new position. A Guardian with no Guardian duties. She didn't pay too much attention to the rest of the meeting, and instead lost herself in thoughts of what this meant for her now...

* * *

Rapunzel sat in the corner of a tent they had been led to upon arrival. The stool-like seat wasn't very comfortable, despite it's lavish appearance, but it was off to the side where she could sit and think while Jim was pacing the length of the tent. Elsa had been swept away by reporters to discuss the First Challenge they were about to face, and Rapunzel felt a little sorry for her, but not enough to dampen the relief she felt that it wasn't her.

The past two days had her plagued by thoughts about her new status as a Guardian. Having more time to study healing and focus on the tournament was a little nice, but overall she was disappointed and frustrated that she wasn't allowed to help Jack and Merida. They'd been through thick and thin together, even when half of their classmates had wanted to tear them apart, but now it seem like the whole world was against them. It felt like every time she turned around there was another reason for them to be pushed just a little farther apart, and it made her sad. Jack and Merida had admitted easily to feeling the same way when they'd found time to talk after the meeting, but there was little any of them could do to change their circumstances except agree to do everything they could to help each other.

Even with their sympathy and like-mindedness, Rapunzel was still feeling like a caged bird. Stuck inside once again, gazing out at the world as life went on without her. The loneliness she'd felt when Gothel was able to keep her within the palace in Corona started creeping back from the depths of her heart where she'd left it buried, and she wished there was someone who understood what it was like.

She knew she should be grateful for what she had. She was a princess, after all, and she was surrounded by all of her loved ones. It was more than enough for many people, no doubt...

North, Varvatos Vex, and Hera entered the tent with Elsa close behind, breaking Rapunzel from her thoughts as they were all called to gather around for the revealing of their first task. North held out a small burlap bag, offering it to Elsa first as the oldest. The young queen reached into the bag and pulled out her fist, opening it palm-up to show tiny hammer made of a twig and a stone.

"A Tinker Fairy. They can be quite the challenge. You'll need to outsmart her." Hera murmured, standing beside Elsa and resting her hand on her shoulder. Elsa looked as confused as Rapunzel felt.

Suddenly North was holding the bag out to her and, after a moments hesitation, Rapunzel reach into the bag. Her hand closed around something that was moving and she had to bite her lip to not squeal in surprise. When she opened her palm there was a small whirlwind twirling in her palm. North hummed deeply.

"A Fast-Flying Fairy. You'll either need to match her speed, or find a way to slow her down." North informed her, and Rapunzel could only nod uncertainly as North moved on to present the bag to Jim. The boy reached in and opened his hand to reveal a small, pink flower. Varvatos Vex nodded at the sight of it.

"It seems luck has graced you today, Mr. Lake. With Gardening Fairies the only thing to be concerned about is their poppy pollen." Varvatos said. Jim still looked wide-eyed and concerned about the whole thing, but Rapunzel thought that might be his theme throughout the tournament, the poor thing.

"The First Task is quite simple," North declared, handing the bag off to one of his elves as he turned to face all of them. "The fairy you chose will have a clue that will assist you in the next challenge. Your task is to chase the fairies and try to catch them, using only your broomsticks. Your wands must remain here."

Rapunzel swallowed hard. She wasn't particularly good at flying. She hadn't been the worst in her class, in fact she'd gotten the hang of it quite quickly, but she wasn't about to become the next Quidditch star. Her skills were average, and without her wand she wouldn't have any other magic to help her. Elsa would have some of her ice powers, but Rapunzel only had her broom. Though Jim, she assumed, was facing similar circumstances, so she found comfort in that she would not be the only one struggling without her magic.

From then on it was a rush of activity followed by a suffocatingly silent wait as Rapunzel and Jim listened to the distant crowd roaring during Elsa's task. Jim had resumed his pacing, and Rapunzel had taken up her post in the corner, sitting and wringing her fingers nervously.

Eventually the noise faded and, after an agonizing fifteen minutes more of waiting, the teachers returned with Elsa, who looked exhausted, but was also smiling with her fist curled tight around what Rapunzel guessed was her clue.

The teachers turned to Rapunzel expectantly, and she stood from her seat, feeling a thousand butterflies take flight in her stomach. She breathed deeply as she followed North along the rocky path to the far arena that overlooked the gorge and the ocean. It was the same place they held Dragon Training for the viking students during their fourth year. The arena had been remodeled a little; the cages repaired from the damage they received, and the ground changed to be more uneven, matching the rocky cliff-side terrain in the gorge.

The echoing of the crowd got louder and louder the closer they got, and at the entrance to the arena, North handed her a broomstick from the wall with an encouraging nod. Rapunzel took the broom and turned to enter the arena, taking a deep breath and lifting her chin. The crowds cheering got impossibly loud and Rapunzel quickly spotted Jack, Merida, Eugene, and some of their other friends screaming for her to do her best. She smiled, feeling lighter than before, and waved at them happily.

As she was waving, something shot passed her, right in front of her face. The sheer speed of movement caused a gust of wind to stir up in the wake of whatever had zipped passed, and Rapunzel's eyes shot around to try and follow whatever it was. She eventually found a fairy dressed in a purple shirt and pants, her ponytail flicking back and forth as she flipped it, smirking down at Rapunzel. This was the fast-flying fairy North had warned her about. On the fairy's back was a small capsule that looked to be about three-fourths her size, and Rapunzel knew that was the clue she was aiming for.

"Alright! This seems simple enough," Rapunzel murmured to herself, gripping her broom with new found determination and excitement. "Catch the fairy, get the clue. How hard can it be? I've had so much training lately, I'm sure this will be a piece of cake!"

Rapunzel mounted her broom and kicked off, hovering in the air as she waited for the signal for the task to begin. She locked gazes with the fairy and they both grinned confidently at each other, prepped to shoot into motion the second the task began. The moment before hung suspended in the air for what felt like forever, and then finally a big horn blew out a bellowing, low note and Rapunzel shot after the fast-flying fairy, arching into a loop around the arena and then over the wall and down into the gorge.

Rapunzel followed the fairy along the treacherous path that the gorge created, ducking through holes and around stone pillars just to keep that thin trail of pixie dust within view. The fairy looked back at her, still flying forward, and smirked before taking off with a sudden extra burst of speed. Rapunzel gasped and leaned forward, chasing her towards the castle towers.

The fog grew thicker the higher they rose into the sky, leaving Rapunzel unable to see clearly, but she kept eyes fixated on the tiny gold glow of the fairy. Suddenly out of the fog, Rapunzel realized they were heading straight for one of the castle's towers and she threw herself to the right in order to swerve around the tower instead of crashing into it. The fairy swerved left and they looked at each other when they were on the other side. The fairy smirked again and Rapunzel furrowed her brow in determination.

Rapunzel raced after the fairy, zipping through the castle courtyards, ducking between the poles on the wooden bridge that led out to the Forbidden Forest. She veered around towers, and eventually they were shooting along the gorge again, though this time they were heading from the main bridge. The magnificent stone structure loomed over a misty cavern that looked as though it had no bottom. The Fast-Flying fairy was definitely proving a challenge, and Rapunzel knew there was no way she would be able to catch the fairy using this strategy.

The brunette looked around her for anything that might spark an idea, and found very little to work with. Her eyes focused on the giant bridge they were approaching, and her head lifted a little as a thought came to her from a distant memory. Her eyes drifted down to the fairy again, and then back up to the bridge, before she smiled and leaned forward to go even faster.

The fairy angled up to go over the bridge, and Rapunzel balanced her feet on the broom, still using her hands to steer. As soon as the bridge was underneath the fairy, Rapunzel leaped from her broom with her arm outstretched. She grabbed the fairy in one hand and hit the stone hard, rolling until her back hit the wall on the other side of the wide bridge, her broom clattering loudly beside her.

Rapunzel groaned a little, rubbing her head as she lifted her hand to find a very grumpy fairy sitting cross-legged in her palm, pouting. Rapunzel laughed and grinned as the fairy handed over her tiny carrier that held Rapunzel's clue.

The princess leaped to her feet and picked up her broom, ecstatic to go back to the arena and show everyone she'd succeeded in her first task! The fairy flicked her ponytail again with a huff and zipped off in the direction of the arena, causing Rapunzel to hurry in mounting her broom and kicking off so that she could follow.

The breeze blew through her hair as she flew towards the arena and she gave a cheer of delight, singing into the open sky as she went.


	12. Devil in Me

**Music:** "Devil in Me" by Halsey

_NOTES: "I'm becoming more and more Dangerous. I can't make it Stop..."_

**Chapter 12: Devil In Me**

"Guard!" Talia screamed, lacing fear with just a touch of panic and Eret gave her a thumbs up. "Guard! Help!"

The thumping of three pairs of boots running towards them echoed off of the stone walls, and the guards appeared on the other side of the bars, peering in at them.

"Please help! My friend, he's dying!" Eret exclaimed, supporting Sinbad who was slumped against him, one arm over his shoulders. The guards looked at each other, muttering to one another in panic as they pointed at Sinbad. Eret was able to pick out some Latin, catching words like "Slave Trade" and something about time. Eret's best guess was that they were probably worried about them dying on their watch before the Consul could get any worth out of them.

One of the guards finally stepped forward, snapping at the other who crossed his arms and shook his head as the third guard stood by with a nervous look, gripping his spear with a tight grip. The guard with the key unlocked the cell and opened the door as Eret shuffled forward, dragging Sinbad with him.

"Please! HELP HIM!" Eret shouted, grabbing the front of Sinbad's shirt and throwing him into the air as the other Captain's eyes popped open in wide-eyed horror. Sinbad hit the three guards and they all fell to the ground, the guards hitting their heads against the ground or the bars while Sinbad used them for a cushion.

Eret grinned, walking over to the door where Sinbad still lay on top of the three guards, groaning a little pathetically.

"I still hate it!" Sinbad hissed as he picked himself up off the ground.

"Oh, but it's so much fun! And it always works!" Eret smiled.

"It's humiliating!" Sinbad grumbled.

"Oh, not for me, it isn't." Eret replied, still grinning at the slightly shorter and thinner man.

"Can we please just _go_? We need to find Cat!" Talia reminded them and Eret grew serious, nodding at her.

"You're right. But first we need some weapons. I'm sure these fine gentlemen won't mind allowing us to use theirs until we've find ours." Eret said, looking down at the unmoving guards and removing a sword from ones hip.

Sinbad, still pouting, also yanked one free, and Kale got the third one. Rat grabbed some ropes from one corner of the guards' area at the front of the jail tower, and Tiny grabbed the spear the third guard had dropped. Everyone else was left without weapons, but they looked just as determined

"Alright, we're going to have to be fast and smart about this. Sinbad and Kale will lead everyone down to the docks and take back the ships. Talia and I will go find Cat and the dragons, and we'll catch up with you when we can." Eret said, receiving nods from the pirates surrounding him.

"You're gonna run off to find one kid and a couple dragons?" Sinbad asked incredulously. "Are you insane?! What about the Code? Whoever falls behind gets left behind, remember?"

"Maybe in another crew, but I take care of my own. Besides, Cat and his dragons have saved us countless times before. It's about time we returned the favor." Eret told him, meeting Talia's gaze and they smiled knowingly, nodding at each other.

"Enough loitering! Your larger group should split into two and find separate ways to the docks. You can confuse the guards and take the docks by surprise by coming from two sides." Talia suggested, and then grinned at Eret excitedly. "Let's go get, Cat!" She darted off down the stairwell, leaving behind a party of stunned, open-mouthed pirates. Eret simply smiled smugly, glancing at Sinbad's dumbfounded expression, and then chuckled.

"Plenty clever that one, wouldn't you say?" Eret teased, slapping Sinbad's shoulder and then racing off after Talia.

* * *

Toothless's eyes snapped open when he heard the tiny clacks of Ziggerastica's claws on the metal bottom of the cage, his claws scratching and scraping as he scurried towards the Night Fury. Toothless lifted his head and peered down at the minuscule creature, giving a rumbled growl as the nanodragon came to a stop in front of him.

 _"Report,"_ Toothless said.

 _"I have done as you instructed, but those rotten humans have laid many tricky traps! I could easily get around them if I had more time, but the guards always take your Strange-Kin into the big nest while I am busy with their traps, so I have not been able to locate his exact location."_ Ziggerastica mumbled the last part, looking everywhere but at Toothless, and then he puffed his chest back up and carried on again. _"However! I have spied on those nasty humans, and I believe they plan to use their Confusing Dust to make you fight with your Mini-Kin!"_

 _"What?"_ Toothless snarled, sitting up and glaring down at Ziggerastica.

 _"They were making their poisons and pointed to this cage on a map of this room. Then they made a small portion of their poisons and were cackling like sea birds!"_ Ziggerastica explained.

Toothless growled, thinking to himself. If the Romans gave their poisons to his boy, there was no telling how he would react or what side effects might come up. He also knew that if they were both given poisons, there was a good chance they would be pushed into fighting one another, possibly to the death. He had hoped that the Romans would use him in a fight against anyone else, in fact he hadn't even considered they might put them against each other, but now he was determined to escape before the humans could succeed. He was going to rescue his boy before they could hurt him anymore.

 _"Go and attract the guards of this room and draw them inside to this point."_ Toothless ordered, interrupting Ziggerastica's ramblings about his bravery and heroism.

 _"What?!"_ The little dragon exclaimed, looking at Toothless as though he had grown a second head. _"Have you lost your mind?! Why should I reveal my presence to the Humans?"_

 _"Because I ordered you to!"_ Toothless snapped, baring his teeth at the nanodragon. _"I am getting out of here, and_ We _are going to save my boy. Now!"_

 _"This can only end in disaster."_ Ziggerastica muttered rebelliously, but then straightened up with a salute. _"I will draw the enemy into your trap!"_

With that, the little dragon zipped off in the direction of the entrance where two guards would be standing. After a moment, Toothless heard the unmistakable shouts and exclamations of the guards chasing Ziggerastica in zigzag patterns across the room. Toothless drew back into the corner of his cage, shrouding himself in shadows as Ziggerastica appeared and scuttled over to the corner, hiding behind him.

The guards were right behind the little dragon and they peered into the cage with confused expressions that quickly turned horrified as Toothless opened his eyes and mouth, green and purple glows revealing the outline of his looming stature. The guards started to backpedal, but before they could run away, Toothless fired at the ground beneath their feet, sending them to their backs. One hit his head and lay unmoving on the floor, the second stumbled to his feet with his back towards the cage. Using his tail, Toothless caught the guard around the neck and yanked him backwards, slamming his head against the bars so he slumped down against the cage.

 _"Get the key. Unlock the cage."_ Toothless commanded as Ziggerastica hurried forward and searched the guard's belt before producing a large key ring that he struggled to lift.

 _"How... Do we know... Which one... Is for yours?"_ Ziggerastica gasped out, flapping his tiny wings as hard as he could to carry the key ring.

 _"They are marked. Match the symbol on the key with the symbol on the lock."_ Toothless informed him, pointing his nose at the numbers that were engraved onto the side of each key. Within a couple of minutes Ziggerastica managed to find the right key and unlock the cage, the door swinging open on it's own as Toothless prowled forward. _"There's more to do,"_ Toothless said, picking up the key ring that Ziggerastica was still holding tightly to. _"We'll free the rest of the flock, and then we will go find Part-of-Me."_

Toothless didn't pay any attention to Ziggerastica hanging onto the key ring as he ran through the seemingly endless number of cages, searching for his friends. Just a little longer and their flock would be together again. Safe.

He just had to find them all.

* * *

His head was pounding, his heart was racing, and everything hurt. Every noise, every smell, every touch, brought pain to his senses. He didn't know if it was day or not, he could barely even remember his name... Names?... Perhaps he wasn't even sure of that. All he was sure of was the guards who had pulled him from his cage, leaving him chained and muzzled as they dragged him through the halls of the palace.

Captivity had not been good for Cat. It was slowly driving him Mad, and each day it became a little harder to hold in his power. Not that the daly fights in the arena were helping at all, forcing him to act upon violent extincts he had suppressed for his entire life. All of it was driving his magic haywire. It boiled under his skin, clawing at his insides, trying to get out. He didn't want it to get out. He wished he could suppress it, ignore it, but it was so strong, and the muzzle made it hard for him to breathe. The chains felt heavy on his body.

There were five guards, pulling and pushing him down the corridor. Their voices were loud in Cat's ears and the clanging of their armor, as well as the chains on his own body, pierced his eardrums. His migraine gave a painful throb with each sound.

They eventually came to one of the cages in the bottom of the arena, and Cat was shoved inside, followed by all five guards. Three of them came after him, holding him down on the ground, a fourth grabbed a fist full of his hair and yanked his head up so his face was open to them, and the fifth carried a piece of parchment which he poured powder from a jar onto.

Cat knew what that was. It was their War Powder that clouded the mind and spiked fighting instincts. They had been forcing him to take the drug for...he didn't even know how long. The sight of the guard approaching with it again just suddenly made something in him snap. Distantly, he thought he heard the sound of shattering mirrors as he screamed.

The three guards were thrown off of Cat's back by the sudden explosion of black-mist energy with white electricity crackling through it. His magic swirled around him, bursting at the seams of his tightly held control that was starting to fall apart. He was breathing hard, glaring and baring his teeth at the guards as they dropped into defensive stances, suddenly wary of the snarling and tightly coiled Dragon Boy before them.

Cat was crouched tight, ready to leap at any one of them, and there were no whites in his eyes. There was only bright green with two black slits cutting through the glow. Red clouded his vision and the powder was scattered across the floor, soiled in the dirt where it was spilled. The muzzle and chains clanged together as they fell to the floor as well, sliced to pieces by the overwhelming burst of explosive magic.

For a moment they all stood frozen, and then Cat lunged at the guard to his right. The room erupted into chaos as the guards tried to restrain the boy, who was more beast than human in that moment. Cat crashed into the guard, slamming him into the ground. The guard groaned and lay unmoving, and two more guards leaped at Cat from either side, so he jumped straight up and allowed the two guards to crash into each other as he flipped in the air and landed in a crouch, facing the two remaining guards. The two guards stood side by side and they both went to draw their swords from their belts.

Cat shrieked at them and ran on all-fours at the closest one, leaping at him with pointed canine teeth glinting in the dim light. Cat grabbed the guards shoulders, swinging around the Roman's body to spin them, and the guard tripped, falling face-first onto the floor with Cat on his back. The guard's nose made a crunch sound upon impact, and satisfaction flooded Cat's veins.

The hiss of a sword being pulled from it's sheath caused Cat's head to snap up, and he snarled at the final guard, who yelled and charged at him. Cat ducked under the sword and grabbed the Roman's arm, twisting it until it popped. The guard dropped his sword and screamed, falling to his knees, but Cat leaped onto him, slamming his back into the ground as he snarl in the cowering Roman's face.

Cat lifted one, clawed hand and swiped, catching the guard's arms because he threw them up to protect his face. Cat kept swiping at the guard, alternating arms as he scratched and punched. The Roman's arms eventually fell to the sides and he lay unmoving as Cat raised his left arm, his eyes fixated on the Roman Soldier's throat, but he froze.

He was breathing hard, his lungs burning, but every intake of breath brought that horrible copper smell with it. He was shaking, staring down at the blood-splattered man underneath him, and he slowly brought both hands down in front of him, causing horror to course through his whole body.

His hands were covered in blood.

His vision flashed quickly between there and a dark bathroom in a castle very far away. He squeezed his eyes closed tight, clenching his fists and pulling them close as he bit his lip, choking down a sob. Opening his eyes, Cat looked at the human man below him, and then slowly backed away, onto the solid ground. He looked around at the battered and unconscious men laying all around him, the bloody hand prints he left behind as he stayed as low to the floor as possible, and his heart lurched painfully in his chest.

He turned and darted out of the arena cage. His mind was screaming to find Toothless and get out of there, but his heart was calling him a coward for running away _Again_.

He raced through the open yards outside of the Amphitheater, knowing full well that the shouts following him were the sentry guards spotting him and alerting the compound of his escape. He needed to find cover. To get inside and out of sight. His eyes scanned all around him, searching for a way out as the dirt and blood on his hands mixed together in a filthy clay.

He spotted an open archway leading into an open corridor and dove into it, sliding against the smooth marble flooring into a wall as he tried to make a sharp left turn. He shook it off as he leaped forward and kept running, hearing a couple of guards shouts behind him. He looked back, seeing no one, but still hearing them chasing after him somewhere down one of the corridors.

As he was looking back he crashed into two people and the three of them went down to the floor in a huge, tangled clump. At first, Cat panicked, thinking that they were more guards trying to catch him, but the loud swearing and the ocean-scent brought a jolt of happiness inside him.

"Eret?" Cat exclaimed, pushing himself up with his arms. "Talia?"

"Cat!" Talia shouted, throwing her arms around Cat's neck in a tight hug after she managed to squirm out from under Eret.

"Are you okay?" Eret asked, grabbing Cat's arm and looking into his face as his other hand fell on Talia's shoulder, drawing both their attention.

"I -I..." Cat hesitated, pulling his hand closer to his chest, his right hand gripping his left. Eret's eyes tracked the movement and took in Cat's ragged appearance. The pirate pressed his lips together, nodding.

"It's okay," Eret murmured, his hand moving to the back of Cat's head, and then he pulled both Cat and Talia in for a hug. "We're going to get out of here. Now, let's go find the dragons." He said, pulling back with a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Yeah. Let's go." Cat nodded eagerly, the knot in his chest loosening.

The three climbed to their feet, but when they turned to go down the other side of the corridor, about ten Roman Soldiers came around the corner, swords and spears at the ready. Eret pulled Cat and Talia behind him, drawing the Roman sword from his belt, but the soldiers just grinned. The thumping of boots on the floor alerted them to more guards coming in behind them, and Cat and Talia whirled around to find ten more guards.

"Loki's shit," Cat muttered, his shoulder slumping heavily.

* * *

The three were dragged up to the viewing pavilion above the arena where the Fat Consul was lounged upon his usual couch seat. Slaves stood by with platters and platters of food while the twenty soldiers stood flanking either side and behind them. The Centurion in charge of the twenty guards walked up to the Fat Consul, knelt until he received permission to stand, and then started rattling off in Latin about how he and his men caught the pirates and his Excellence's newest Gladiator.

"Eret," Cat whispered, the trembling highlighting the ache of his knees on the hard marble flooring of the pristine pavilion.

"What is it, Cat?" Eret breathed, sitting back on his heels and his head bent down low so that they could speak low.

"The Centurion wants to throw us into the arena," Cat swallowed thickly. "The Fat Consul thinks it would be entertaining to watch us get ripped apart by dragons."

"Dragons? Well, that's good, isn't it? Couldn't you just train them?" Talia said softly.

"Not if they... Not if they use their War Powder." Cat barely breathed and he felt Eret stiffen beside him.

"We need to find a way out of here." Eret stated quietly, but his eyes were taking in all of the guards around them with a doubtful gaze.

A roar cut through the loud conversation in the room, and Cat's senses all fixated on the sky beyond the Fat Consul's balcony. One section of the arena wall exploded into flame, and then Hookfang and Stormfly flew out above the theatre, shooting fire and terrorizing whatever guards they could find. Barf-Belch, Meatlug, and Sharpshot flew past the opening of the pavilion, and then a large black paw appeared over the edge, claws digging into the flooring of the balcony. Toothless leaped over the edge, planting himself there with a snarl and a glare at all of the Romans before his eyes locked with Cats.

"Toothless!" Cat exclaimed, relief and joy rushing over him like a wave so overwhelming that he actually felt his eyes welling up.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Talia released a breath she must have been holding. Eret, on the other hand, took the distraction as an opportunity to tackle the two guards closest to him.

Everyone leaped into action at once, the guards trying to protect the Fat Consul as Toothless, Meatlug, and Ziggerastica leaped around the pavilion; biting, clawing, and spitting fire blasts. Talia used her leg to sweep the feet out from under a guard that charged at her and grabbed his sword. Cat ducked under the guard that tried to grab him, and then Talia met the guard in a stalemate.

Cat looked over at where Toothless was standing off against five guards with teeth bared and fire smoking in his mouth. He had to get to Toothless. Another guard was upon him before he could find a way through the chaos, and Cat threw himself to the side to avoid the sword that clanged against the marble flooring where he had been standing. The Roman turned to him, he was the Centurion in charge of everything at the Fortress, grinning savagely and banging his sword against his shield as a taunt, but it just gave Cat an idea.

Cat ducked under a second swing from the Roman and then slipped behind him, staying in the large man's blind-spot until he swung his shield arm enough to the side that Cat could grab it and slide it off of his arm. The Roman gave a confused exclamation, but Cat was already off again, jumping and tucking onto the shield so he could slide across the floor, between the guards surrounding Toothless, who swung his tail around to take out the guards right behind Cat.

"Toothless!" Cat grinned, having slide up right beneath Toothless's front paws. The Night Fury gave a happy warble at seeing his boy, but the two didn't take the time to greet each other beyond that. Cat swung up onto his saddle, and Toothless gave a mighty roar. Cat put his left hand on Toothless's head, merging their magics once again, and the Night Fury shot several blasts across the pavilion, throwing up debris and smoke.

Eret, who now brandished two spears, dropped his weapons and used the cover to make a break for the balcony. "Come on, Talia!" He shouted.

Talia kicked away the guard she'd been battling with and then ran after Eret with Toothless and Cat covering their escape. The two pirates leaped from the balcony, Stormfly and Hookfang swooping up to catch them almost immediately, and then Toothless, Meatlug, and Ziggerastica standing on top of Meatlug's head, took off to join them in the sky. Barf-Belch appeared with Sharpshot only after causing a second explosion that sent the Crocotas running free across the compound.

Cat looked back as they reached a high enough altitude to be out of reach of any of the Romans' weapons. The Roman shield was weighed perfectly balanced on his arm and Fort Sinister below was left in a mess of chaos and destruction. He looked ahead and spotted both the BlueBlazer and the Privateer were sailing off towards the border of Sinister's waters with a head start that was growing bigger and bigger the longer it took the Romans to give chase.

Something told Cat that they wouldn't be able to get themselves together for quite some time, and by then they would be long gone.

"Down to the ships! Time to go home." Eret smiled, and the dragons all roared in agreement as Talia grinned and Cat sighed in relief. They swooped down towards the sea, going towards the ships. Cat, who was bringing up the rear with Toothless, looked back one last time, and stiffened.

Standing on the top of Fort Sinister's protective wall was Pitch Black, watching him. He smirked knowingly and nodded before disappearing in an apparition spell. Cat turned back, bracing both hands on the saddle, his shoulders raised and head ducked. They had escaped the Romans, but he still felt trapped, and it made him wonder...

Was Pitch right?


	13. Tag, You're It

**Music:** "Tag You're It" by Melanie Martinez

_NOTES: You cannot defeat your enemies until you know who they are..._

**Chapter 13: Tag, You're It**

Emma tiptoed down the stone steps with her bare feet, silent as the night itself. Her simple, white night gown brushed her legs lightly as she walked along the lower levels of the castle, keeping an eye out for grey fur or a trailing tail. She could hear the faint scratching of claws on the stone floor and the occasional meow that had her feet turning down dark corridors and narrow passageways.

"Cat!" She hissed, peering into the darkness for any sign of the familiar feline.

She'd woken up from a nightmare in the middle of the night to find the looming shadow of a Cat disappearing out of the girls' room in the Ravenclaw tower. Naturally, she'd jumped out of bed to follow and pursued the damn creature all the way down to the dungeons, passed even the Slytherin dormitory.

Now she could hear the ocean in the distance, already knowing from what Jack and Hiccup had told her that some of the tunnels dropped into the ocean and when the tide came in, the lower levels of the labyrinth would flood. She figured that since it was the middle of the night, the tide would be as high as it was going to get, and so she wouldn't have to worry as much about getting stuck somewhere and then drowning because those parts will already be submerged underwater by now.

She noticed the ground becoming more and more damp, as well as more and more slippery thanks to the stone. She thought about turning back, but a glimpse of Cat's tail kept her moving forward, calling quietly after the scrawny animal. Eventually the path she was on dipped downward and the cavern was filled with a dim, blue light that reflected off of the water that was flooding the corridor.

The wavering blue light on the cavern walls glowed against Emma's pale skin and as she peered into the waters reflection she saw a girl with bright red and wavy hair pulled into two waterfall braids tied at the back of her head. Her eyes were the same blue-teal as the sea and her dress looked to be made of scales and fishnets. The dress was mostly blue-green with some pink on the waist and on the under skirt, the bow was made of fish bones and a fish skull with a single tentacle-like growth that trailed behind her like a ribbon, but it was tipped with a small, glowing light. Unlike the last dress, her legs and feet were bare, making the Siren appearance that much more believable.

Emma smiled and reached out to touch the image, but just before her finger tip could skim the surface of the water, Cat darted passed her causing her to lose balance on the slippery rocks. As the feline disappeared into thin air just before hitting the water, Emma fell head-first into the icy water, tumbling and turning over and over as she tried to right herself underwater. She calmed after managing to stop rolling over herself in the water and kicked to propel herself back towards the surface. Her heart lurched when her hands came in contact with solid ice, unable to find an opening for air. Emma banged her fist against the ice, but it was no use, and then she felt her whole body jerk backwards and rush into the deep as if pulled by an invisible force.

She would have screamed, but all that came out was a burst of bubbles.

* * *

The air was frigid as she moved so fast through the sky that she was burning. Her body came to a smooth stop just before she hit the ground and her bare feet gently touched the ice and snow covered earth. She looked around her at the frozen tundra. Everything was completely iced over, and she could see her breath, but she didn't feel the cold. A relief what with having no shoes and all.

"Here's a tiny brain teaser for as tiny... Well, for you." Emma turned at the sound of Cat's voice, not surprised to see him sitting on the single ice patch surrounded by snow behind her. "How is the Queen of Hearts like a Typhoon?"

"In all ways," Emma smirked. "But the Typhoon doesn't mean to be."

"You never cease to amaze," Cat said with a slight chuckle. "You'll need to keep you wits about you in this ocean of ice. Dangerous creatures lurk in every corner."

"That isn't anything new, now is it? What about Mock Turtle? Hatter said I should speak to him if I want to learn about that train." Emma asked, her head tilting to one side as she spoke with her hands.

"What is sought is most often found if it is truly sought." Cat purred, his wicked grin unwavering. "As for Turtle, it seems he's traded earth for sea. His dock is not far from here. Just be mindful of sharks."

With that, Cat's figure faded away like dying embers of a fire, leaving Emma to find the way by herself.

Figuring there was no use in standing around doing nothing, Emma started down the path, looking up at the looming cliffs of ice that created the uneven expanse of the tundra. On her left the cliff dropped into icy-black water that reflected nothing, and it made Emma stomach churn. The ocean should have been filled with stars from the night sky, but only inky blackness lay before her. The pollution was spreading, and if this place was already being corrupted by it, then that Train wouldn't be far behind.

The thought had Emma lengthening her strides, moving forward with ignited purpose. She had to get to Mock Turtle first.

Just as the thought passed through her mind, she stepped into a clearing of snow and out of three bubbling puddles emerged three of those Insidious Ruins she'd seen in the forest and Hatter's domain. She clenched her teeth at the sight and lunged at the closest one, her knife glinting in the night as she flicked it out of it's hiding place.

She cut through the oil and decay, slashing away at the beasts as they shrieked and groaned, swinging and charging at her. She'd grown accustomed to these creatures, she was sad to admit, and knowing how they fought made quick work out of the three before her. She knew their movements and waited for her openings, striking at their weak points.

The Vorpal Blade bit into the last doll head, cutting it in two as the Insidious Ruin collapsed into an oozing pile of corruption. Even in death these creatures were destructive, Emma mused as she glared down at the black substance, seeing her blurred reflection stare back at her. She turned away, knowing that crying about it wouldn't solve anyone's problems, and continued down the path.

She came to the opening of a cave, the darkness obstructing her view of whatever was inside. She considered her options, which didn't turn out to be many as turning back wouldn't help at all because there was no where else to go, and staying put was just asking for death to come find her. She decided whatever was in the cave would either kill her or make her stronger, and since the goal was to survive and save Wonderland, she'd take her chances.

She slowly walked into the cave, the darkness enveloping her like still water. After a few more steps, her foot suddenly slipped out from under her and she landed hard on her butt as she found herself sliding down a slide of solid ice. There was no way of slowing herself down, so she simply braced herself for whatever was on the other side. She saw a soft light at the end of the tunnel, most likely reflecting off of ice, and when the slide ended she flew out into an open space, landing on her feet with an 'oof!'.

She froze for a moment, listening and waiting. Something was watching her. She drew her blade with a sharp ringing and whirled around. An antenna with a light on it peeked out from beneath the ice as if in water along with a pair bulging, yellow eyes. Shaking itself and breaking through the ice as if it were powder snow, the creature stood on two, thin legs and gave a shriek.

It was an ugly thing: almost like an Anglerfish except for it's two gangling, knobby legs that ended in webbed fins tipped with three large claws. Emma had heard Hatter telling scary stories about these creatures before, so she knew that they were Ice Snarks, know by their ability to hunt like sharks in solid ice. They tormented sailors and preyed on anyone who fell into their sights, and it seemed that Emma had fallen into one of their dens if the three other Ice Snark's climbing over rocks and out of holes all around her was any indication.

The first one stepped forward and breathed out it's freezing cold breath, and Emma dashed to the side in an explosion of butterflies. If she remembered correctly an Ice Snark's breath could freeze a creature's legs in a block of ice upon impact.

She found that out for certain when the icy breath of another Ice Snark caught her from behind, freezing her body from her waist down. Yet another Ice Snark lunged at her, it's claws catching her shoulder. Emma cried out as her torso twisted painfully, her hand coming up to cover the three claw marks that had ripped into her bicep. Another Ice Snark leaped for her, but Emma shattered, fluttering to the side as the ice prison that had held her cracked and crumbled to pieces.

She hadn't been certain that would work, but it was helpful to know that it did.

She dropped her hand, letting the blood flow freely down her arm as she gripped her blade firmly in her hand, her blood running onto it and dripping off the tip. She ran forward, silent as her knife hissed through the air, slicing through the Ice Snark's scales and spraying their blood into the air.

After a few good hits, the Ice Snarks dived under the ice, only their lights visible to anyone standing on the surface. Emma glared at them and flipped her knife into a better position in her hand so she could plunge it down into the head of the nearest Snark. It shrieked as it burst out from under the ice and Emma took full advantage of it's vulnerability, driving her knife into the creature it stilled, shivered, and then it collapsed at her feet.

Emma didn't pay attention to it. She turned on the other Snarks and jumped into battle against them, forcing them out of their hiding and stalking and cutting them down as they leaped and snapped at her with their giant, sharp teeth.

When she finally slashed open a deadly wound across the last Ice Snark's chest and it dropped to the ground, Emma was breathing hard. She straightened up from her fighting stance, trying to rein in her breathing as she inspected the wounds she'd received. Aside from the cuts on her arm, there was nothing more than the usual bruises and scratches that come with battle.

She took a moment to peer closer at the three, jagged cuts on her bicep and found them mostly clotted despite how deep they were. Not having much to treat them with, Emma scooped up some snow from a corner of the cavern and did her best to clean her arm. Once the snow was stained red and her arm was left with only a little pink residue from the blood, Emma relented. It was the best she could do for now.

Standing up, she turned and kept moving. Looking around at where the other Ice Snark's had come from, Emma eventually found another opening that led into a new tunnel and the smell of salt water and fresh air told her that it led outside. She smiled and climbed over a rock enter the tunnel. Before long she found herself outside once again, surrounded by snow and looming cliffs.

She jumped down from the ledge she'd found herself on and walked around one of the cliffs until she found an opening that led to not just the sea, but a giant bottle with a ship inside of it. Large plots of ice acted like skipping stones from the land to where the bottle was lodged into large rocks and icebergs in what looked like a terrible mess of a crash. Emma didn't hesitate, leaping across the ice plots with wind and wings fluttering through her hair and around her skirt.

Upon closer inspection, Emma found that the bottle was cracked with a small hole that she would be able to climb through. She jumped and caught the edge, pulling herself up and climbing through. She jumped down from the hole in the bottle to the icy ground, and just as her feet hit the snow, a large Shark Skeleton swam through the sky and rammed itself against the bottle.

"You'd better come aboard, Emma. We're doomed of course." Emma looked up at the voice to find Mock Turtle standing on the deck of the ship with a large Captain's hat atop his head.

"What?" She exclaimed. "There's no hope then?" She questioned as a second shark rammed itself against the glass, making the crack bigger.

"Oh, there's an infinite amount of hope, but none for us! Now, get up here!" Turtle ordered as the sharks circled the hole Emma had slipped through. She did as she was told and hurried over to the ship, climbing aboard as fast as she could. One shark shoved it's head through the hole, getting itself stuck, as the other continued to ram against the side. "Confounded beasts! They want my ship!" Turtle cried.

"I think you're more to their taste." Emma pointed out, but Turtle shook his head vigorously.

"Never!" He gasped. "We're almost relatives!"

"You're related to soup, Admiral." Emma told him wryly.

"I've an idea!" Turtle's face lit up as he ignored what she'd just said. "We leave this mayhem and go to Carpenter's show. It's better than a gaff. Carpenter promises what we don't take seriously can't harm us!"

Even though Emma was certain life didn't work like that, she figured going anywhere would be much better than staying within the shark invested waters. "Best dive now, Admiral." She nodded. "Or the sharks will have us for lunch."

No sooner had she spoken the words did the bottle finally give way, splitting into two halves. Turtle pulled a few levers and ropes, maneuvering the ship over the edge of a nearby waterfall and plummet downwards. Emma screamed and then they hit the water, completely submerging underneath the surface in a jarring and bumpy ride, but after a few moments they drifted smoothly along. Even though they were underwater, Emma found herself breathing normally without any trouble and watched as they went deeper and deeper under the surface.

Before she could start questioning Turtle, one of the sharks appeared from out of the waterfall behind them, and managed to catch the back end of the boat. There was a deafening splitting noise of the wood as something broke and the ship started sinking faster and faster as Turtle lost control of the ship. They hit a seastack, sending the ship turning over in the water, and then Emma slammed her eyes shut as she braced herself in the crash.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but when she opened her eyes it was to the sound of Turtle sobbing. She was laying face down in the sand at the bottom of the sea, and as she pushed herself up to standing, her body screamed in protest.

"Owww," She whimpered from the pain. "My body aches all over. We submerged to quickly."

"My ship's a wreck, and I am too!" Turtle sniveled, tears bubbling upward out of the corners of his eyes.

"Admirals go down with their ships." Emma pointed out, feeling some sympathy for her old friend. "In any case, I never knew you for a sailor. If memory serves, you were station master of the Looking Glass Line."

"Hm, sacked from the railroad without the option. 'Redundant' the nitwits said." Turtle sniffed and then ground his teeth at the memory. "Never a holiday, loyal as a bulldog. 'Going in a different direction' my aunt Fanny, if I had one. Going off the rails, more like! Bloody Disaster! Now I'm ship-less, the old railroad's dead, and this new thing's a monstrosity!" Turtle shivered, shaking his head at the thoughts. "What I don't know about it can't hurt me! Say no more! Nods as good as a wink! Now change the subject! We avoid talking about the thing whose name should not be spoken."

"Hearing something useful about this New Train would make for a change." Emma retorted easily.

"You don't respect the suffering of others. Go ask your questions and smart remarks to Caterpillar." Turtle moaned his despair.

"I'm sorry, Admiral. Really. Please, tell me what you know about the train." Emma asked sincerely, feeling a little ashamed for not offering proper condolences to her friend.

"I'll just say we've escaped a contaminating corruption. Count yourself lucky to be down here in the Deluded Depths." Turtle told her.

"But I don't want to escape. I want to stop it. I must stop it to save myself, and Wonderland, too." Emma explained to him, but Turtle wasn't convinced.

"Nonsense! Speak more nonsense. Diversions rule the day. The show must go on, and so on... Speaking of shows..." Turtle turned, reaching into his shell.

"We weren't." Emma said plainly.

"Yes, well, never mind. Here's a ticket for the show Carpenter's mounting. Use it." Turtle instructed, handing over the ticket to her.

Emma took the ticket, inspecting it as Turtle allowed himself to start crying again, effectively ending the conversation. She decided Turtle wasn't going to be anymore help to her, so finding Carpenter was probably the next best thing anyways.

Turning away from Mock Turtle, Emma started walking. They had crashed at the top of an overlook and she could both see and hear the town below. She figured it'd be the best place to get directions to the show.

Reaching the town, she discovered a sign dubbing it "Barrel Bottom". It was a quaint little town that seemed rather colorful and cheerful, though still paling in comparison to the Wonderland Emma used to know. She looked at the fancy wood work on the structures and the large statue of Carpenter in the town square and considered them as Cat appeared in front of her, just off to the left of the statue.

"What lies beneath this patina of civility? Something wicked, I'll wager." Cat's tail flicked back and forth, expressing everything Emma was already thinking.

Something about this place felt off.

She decided against speaking to any of the locals about the whereabouts of the theater, not that she could find any even if she did want to talk to them. Though the town was alight there were no residents out on the street. But as luck would have it, there were plenty of road signs and posters advertising the show that were able to point Emma in the right direction.

Across town she finally found the theater and walked into the main auditorium where the pews were neatly lined up and the stage was finely polished. A Walrus lay sleeping on the stage floor, and as Emma walked closer a tall man with dark red hair and overalls strutted out onto the stage. He spotted her and turned, giving an extravagant bow.

"Ahh, Emma! Delighted to you again, my dear!" Carpenter exclaimed, a large hammer in one hand. "Your arrival is filled with fortunate-ality itself!"

"Really? I...didn't even know..." Emma stuttered in her surprise, but Carpenter hurried on.

"Never mind. My pregnant show is about to pop! It requires only a medicament of your helpful-osity!" Carpenter said to her, and suddenly the compliments made sense: he wanted a favor.

"I don't have much experience. But I do need to reconstruct my..." Emma continued, but trailed off as Carpenter jumped off the stage to join her on the floor and waved dismissively.

"We can barter! I have a screw-driver, nearly new! Or a nice hammer, if you're more interested in..." Carpenter babbled on, but Emma cut in.

"There's a train that's corrupting Wonderland. And I'm looking for help to restrain or destroy it." She stated firmly.

"Most vexatatious, no doubt. We'll address that, uh, monstrosity directly, that's to say, eventually. Now, let's intermedi-ate more important matters." Carpenter decided, pacing back and forth in front of Emma with big and expressive movements. "Due to a logisterical foul-up, our main poster for tonight's performance has yet to be displayed. Would be so kind as to fetch it from the back storage house behind the theater?"

"It hardly seems you're ready for the show." Emma remarked, lifting one eyebrow at the snoring Walrus in the middle of the half-dressed stage. "Why can't you get it yourself?"

"An impresario has arrangements! Ducks in a row, fish to fry, and all the like! Fetch the poster from the storage house across the bridge, then we can batter or clatter or natter as the case may be." Carpenter assured her, though he seemed nervous. His fingers fidgeting around the hammer he carried.

"Alright." Emma relented with a small huff. "I'll collect your poster for you, but then you'll answer my questions about that Train."

"Of course, of course, my dear girl!" Carpenter raved, but as Emma turned to leave she eyed him from the corner of her eye, unsure of what to make of his strange behavior.

Walking around to the back of the theater, Emma found the bridge that Carpenter had been talking about and crossed without any trouble. On the other side she passed through the extremely tall gates and walked toward the large storage house. She walked up the front steps and gently pushed open the double doors of the house.

Inside was one of the most horrid scenes she'd ever seen. Fish people, the residents that lived in the towns of the Deluded Depths, had been caught and killed by man-sized fishing hooks and then hung from the ceiling. Blood covered the entirety of the floor, oozing into puddles on top of the uneven floor boards. There were giant piles of the fish people, and the noxious scent caused bile to rise in Emma's throat as she looked around the room in horror, her bare feet soaking in the blood.

"Every picture tells a story. Sometimes, we don't like the endings. Sometimes, we don't understand it." Cat's voice managed to pull Emma's horrified gaze up from the terrible image to where he was perched on one of the rafters, away from the sticky redness that covered the floor and walls.

Emma met his gaze, unsure of what to say when she could barely breathe, but an earth-shaking crash sounded outside, distracting them both from the conversation as Emma ran out to see what was going on and Cat disappeared. Outside, Emma raced to the gate and grabbed hold of it right after it slammed shut with a confirming click of the lock. The bridge was gone, destroyed somehow, and Carpenter sat on the back of the Walrus, floating above Emma on the other side of the gate.

"My gosh, you're not an impresario, you're a killer! The mastermind of a criminal enterprise!" Emma accused, glaring up at the man who she'd once considered a friend.

"This world is not so Either, Or, Emma." Carpenter said to her conversationally.

"The show distrac-ulates the crowd. A shame you'll miss it. But I'll return to deal with you in due time." Carpenter promised.

"Time? Time? The time has come to talk of ships and eh, eh, and vegetables and royalty and eh, and whether pigs have wings and so on." The Walrus under Carpenter riled, seemingly frustrated by all the talk.

"Enough of that, Walrus. You start wailing about there being too much sand on the beach, I'll have your blubber for breakfast!" Carpenter snapped.

"Shame on you Carpenter! You made a promise!" Emma rebuked him, but he waved a dismissive hand once again.

"I had no choice. One can't always do as one would like. I would have thought you'd know that by now." With that, he gave the Walrus a kick and the two drifted off, leaving Emma stranded behind a locked gate with no bridge to get across. Cat chose that moment to reappear and Emma looked to him for some kind of guidance.

"Well, what do I do now?" She wanted to know.

"Treat it like a Chinese Box or a stubborn lid, a tap in the right spot might do the trick." Cat suggested nodding toward the hinge of the gate.

Emma walked towards it as he disappeared and inspected the hinge. If she could pull out the pins, then the gate would fall, and because the gates were so tall, if she pushed it forward they would act as a new bridge for her to cross.

She grabbed onto the first pin, pulling upward as hard as she could, but it wouldn't budge. She looked at it, seeing the rust and patina, she knew there was no way she'd get it out, at least, not any time soon, and she wasn't feeling particularly patient. Walking back towards the storage house, though she hated the thought of going back in there, she looked inside and quickly found what she was looking for in a box by the door.

Taking two of the theater-grade explosives, she wedged them in between the hinges and then used her knife against the metal gates to create enough of a spark to light the fuse. Taking a few quick steps back, Emma plugged her ears and watched as the explosives went off with two loud 'BANG!'s and with an enormous, echoing groan, the gates slowly fell forward until they slammed against the ground on the other side near the theater. Emma smiled, removing her fingers from her ears as Cat appeared beside her again.

"You call that a tap?! Fortunate I didn't suggest force, you might have pulverized it!" Cat remarked, though his eyes held some amusement. Emma just gave him a dazzling smile and skipped across the newly made bridge.

Inside the theater, she marched into the foyer and right across to the main stage doors which were wide open. She intended to have it out with Carpenter, and possibly fight to the death with him, but the room was already bustling with resident of Barrel Bottom, and the curtains were drawn for the show. She clenched her fists, but ultimately decided to just sit and watch the show. She'd confront Carpenter when there weren't so many innocent creatures around to get hurt. She found a seat in the front and settled into it just as Carpenter strutted out onto stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the shoooooooow!" He shouted, leaving the stage as he extended an arm to the Oyster Ladies and their can-can line.

"Rather bizarre show." Emma muttered when Carpenter sat right next to her, clapping along.

The Oyster Starlets continued their dancing as the main star moved to center stage, but then suddenly the Walrus fell from above and crushed her by landing on top of her. The backup dancers screamed and started trembling in fear at the horrible beast before them.

"That's quite enough of that I think! That's enough preliminaries! Here's the performance you've been waiting for proves I am without prejudice and have a fine sense of humor." Walrus announced just before jumping into his verses. "Sword and crown are worthless here, I invite everyone to dance! Laborers, lawyers, church and gown, All make their little prance."

As Walrus recited his lines, he used the scythe he held to reach out and catch the Oyster girls one by one, cutting them to pieces as they scurried across the stage both in dance and fear. One of them got as far as the edge of the stage and knocked over a lamp that caught the curtain on fire, but she was quickly snatched up by the blade the Walrus wielded.

"This life is full of random death, And heaps of grief and shame, So few are soothed by 'accident', You want someone to blame. Fire, plague or strange disease, Drowned, murdered or, if you please, A long fall down the basement stairs, None are expected, no one cares. I often must work very hard, Sweat running down my skin. After the dance I then must rest, And the eating can begin."

As the fire and screaming grew and grew, the Walrus gave a roar, his teeth mashing and tongue smacking against his lips as he devoured anything he could catch. The fishes in the audience were screaming and running, trying to get away, but they too were being swept up by the Walrus's insatiable appetite.

"Time to eat! Death is the ultimate equalizer! All have the right to be eaten." Walrus declared, chewing and drooling in his gluttony.

"Get in line creatures! All will be served, so to speak." Carpenter shouted over the din, fishes running and panicking all around him in utter chaos.

"Wicked thing! Feasting while Wonderland is destroyed!" Emma pointed an accusatory finger at the Walrus as she fixed Carpenter with her deadliest glare.

"I am not the enemy you seek, Emma. I tried to hide this bit of Wonderland from that beast. Appeasement's never clean. We must all play our assigned roles. Are you a pawn or a queen? An idiot or a practiced fool?" Carpenter tried to defend himself, but Emma wasn't impressed. "However this turns out, consider the prospect that you have been misled, Emma! Then ask, by whom?"

Just then the ground began to tremble and all of the lights went out. The fishes running for the door stopped and turned around suddenly, running back into the theater as red fire rose up in the doorway, followed by the awful sounds of the Infernal Train.

"Oh no! Who set that bloody train in motion?! Where's it come from?!" Emma cried, terrified of the metal behemoth coming straight at them, but Carpenter stepped between her and the Train, pushing Emma back so she stumbled towards the fire on stage.

"It arrived when you arrived! And it's more horrible even then you can currently imagine! The death of a dream! Caterpillar may know how!" Carpenter screamed as he gave her another shove to get her out of the way as the Train hit him at full speed, killing him.

Emma fell into the fire and her vision was washed entirely with red, though whether that was the fire or Carpenter's blood, she wasn't sure...


	14. Everything At Once

**Music:** "Everything At Once" by Lenka

 _NOTES:_ Don't underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and notice more than you realize.

**Chapter 14: Everything At Once**

Breakfast was a bustling and crowded as ever with three schools sharing the Hall, but Emma was able to find a space at the Ravenclaw table to enjoy some toast with jelly as she looked over some files she'd "borrowed" from the Auror's Office during her shift.

Carpenter's words had stuck with her after waking up washed up on the shore early that morning. After sneaking back into school, relieved to not be sent to the hospital wing which would possibly make Rapunzel more suspicious, Emma really thought about what the twisted man had said. If it wasn't Pitch causing the destruction of Wonderland, then who could it possibly be? Knowing that Wonderland was directly linked to her world, Emma theorized that whatever was happening to Wonderland was also happening to Hogwarts in some way. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anyone besides Pitch who had anything to gain from attacking Hogwarts.

That being said, she had started to notice some patterns within Pitch's attack strategy and was starting to wonder if it really was random or not. Cross-referencing all of the known Pitch Black sightings and dragon-related incidents had been extremely helpful, though even with her knowledge of _Specific Context_ , some of the reports just weren't adding up; a sighting of Pitch Black at Fort Sinister near Rome had been reported just a few days ago, but the day after there was another report of Black Sand infecting a herd of yak in the Archipelago through the fresh water supply and effectively killing them all. As far as Emma knew, not even Pitch Black and Sandman could travel that fast, to go from one side of the world to the other in a single day. Perhaps it had been one of Pitch's generals, but Magic, especially Dark Magic, is not easily controlled by a person who was not born to it. She wasn't sure if anyone but Pitch _could_ use black sand effectively. And, furthermore, why would Pitch Black care about a fresh water source on some island in the middle of nowhere?

On top of all this was the increasing number of reports about pirates and the Prime Minister signing warrants for the Ministry to begin hunting them. It seemed the Prime Minister wanted all of them to hang. It was all quite bizarre and Emma was still trying to figure out how it all went together.

Deep in thought, Emma hardly noticed Jamie coming up to her and taking the empty seat beside her with a light hello and a curious look at what she was doing. She mumbled a vague noise of greeting, but didn't bother looking up from the papers.

"So... What have you got there?" Jamie asked, sounding as though he was trying to break an awkward silence.

"Just some reports from the office. I'm reviewing them once more before I file them, just in case the senior investigators missed something." She shrugged easily, giving him a half-truth.

"Why?" He asked, his lip curling up in a weird half-smirk that looked a cross between amused and vaguely disgusted. "I mean, they're Senior Investigators for a reason, if they didn't find anything, I seriously doubt that you -uhh, well, what I mean is, uh, haha!" He stumbled and stuttered when Emma looked up at him to stare at him with a narrowed brow.

"Even the most experienced of people can make mistakes sometimes." Emma replied, her tone icy as Jamie's expression quickly morphed into one of panic.

"Oh, come on! Don't be like that! I didn't mean it like how it sounded!" Jamie tried to reason, though Emma didn't think it was a very good argument. "What I meant is; I just don't understand why you're wasting all your time on this. I mean, the Auror's Office apprenticeships are for future Investigators and Warriors, but you don't need to worry about that sort of stuff. You could just take healing classes with all the other girls."

"What you mean is that I'm a girl and I should be more focused on embroidery and dancing and trying to get boys' attention than trying to build a career in investigative and strategic practices." Emma supplied for him in a sickly sweet tone, batting her eyelashes for affect.

"Exactly!" Jamie sighed with relief, but then his eyes widened in shock and confusion. "Wait, what?"

Emma was already grabbing the files and papers strewn across the table before her, shoving them into her bag, but she did spare some of her attention to Jamie as she added on to her previous statement. "But if you knew me at all you would know that I spent half of last year trying to learn healing from Rapunzel and we discovered it incompatible with my magic. If you were perceptive at all, you would have noticed that I was one of the best Duelers in our year during Dueling Club meetings. And if you were the slightest bit tactful you might've realized that you sound like a total Ass!"

Emma slammed her notebook closed with both hands, tucked it under her arm, and then marched out of the Great Hall. She left Jamie gaping like a big stupid fish and ignored his calls for her to stop or come back when he finally managed to break from his stupor. She kept walking with her bag slung over her shoulder and her mood turned foul.

She didn't really know where else to go. Venelope had made it onto the Slytherin Quidditch team as an alternate and was at practice with Jack. Cupcake was busy with an extra curricular project for Herbology, helping Professor Lorax with some of his more delicate plants as she was one of his most promising students of their year. And, sadly, Emma couldn't retreat to the library because it was closed for cleaning and organizing for the day.

She huffed out a heavy sigh. The study lounges were useless as they were more hangout spaces for the students where no actual studying got done, so if she went there she wouldn't get any work done or people would bother her, wanting to know what she was doing. The Room of Requirement was an option, but there were always at least a few older students practicing there, usually under Merida's instruction as she was still heading the Secret Dueling Club.

However, this Saturday was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Nearly everyone from her class would be going at some point that day, but the village would be a good place to lose herself in the crowd and avoid prying eyes. Besides, she knew Cupcake and Venelope were extremely excited to see the village and would go later in the day, so perhaps she could meet up with them at some point.

Deciding it was her best option, Emma started towards the courtyard where Mr. and Mrs. Crood were organizing horse-drawn sleigh rides for the students with the Prefects help. Emma managed to slip onto one of the early sleighs, with a couple of fourth-years that didn't pay her much mind other than a polite greeting, which was fine by her. Emma watched the forest go by, remembering a time when she'd traveled to Hogsmeade as a first-year and smiled fondly as warmth swelled up inside her heart. She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face, or the ache that twinged in her chest.

It was the reason she didn't find this trip to be so exciting. It was much more fun when they were breaking the rules and going on an adventure where few would follow. But it was always nice to get out of the castle.

Upon reaching the drop-off point, Emma jumped out of the sleigh and walked through the snow to peer in at all of the different shops. She decided to get herself some sweet treats from Honeydukes to help her with all the work she had to do. She smiled as she opened the door to the warm shop, the bell above the door jingling to announce her arrival.

During the coldest points of the winter, the kind old couple of Honeydukes set up small tables in the corner by the window so that customers could linger within the warmth of the store while enjoying their goodies. Finding the tables empty, Emma dropped her bag onto the seat and purchased a few Cauldron Cakes before sitting down and pulling out the files she was digging through earlier.

For one gloriously peaceful hour Emma was able to work without any interruptions while also munching on the rich desserts she'd gotten for herself. Unfortunately, the blessed silence did not last. The door swung open with a startled jingle of the bell and three, loud teenage boys along with three teenage girls, fumbled into the store, excitedly taking in their surroundings. Emma tried to shrink behind her book bag, hoping the assortment of Hogwarts students wouldn't notice her, but Gustav spotted her not a moment later and called out, obliviously happy.

Of all the boys, Gustav was probably the sweetest and most well-meaning of the group, but he wasn't exactly the sharpest pencil in the classroom.

With the whole group's attention now on her, Emma straightened a little, offering a small wave in response as Gustav strolled over with the others beside him. They all crowded in the corner as Emma tried to shift her papers a bit to cover the important things without drawing too much attention to herself. Hiro's gaze, however, had gone straight to her work and took in the old case files with a raised eyebrows and surprised expression.

"Whoa, that's some pretty heavy work you have there. Never would have pegged you for the Auror type." Hiro said, but upon seeing her blank stare it turned into a bit of a nervous chuckle. "Not that you're not smart, it's just that you're always so quiet, and I always kinda thought you more on the art side of things, not that that's a bad thing..." He quickly added, scratching the back of his neck and pulling at the Ravenclaw scarf wrapped around his neck that matched Emma's.

"Well, Lady Tremaine is always giving Emma detention for drawing in etiquette class." Riley Anderson remarked with a shrug, and Emma wasn't going to argue that. She was a bit more artistic than technical focused, however that didn't mean she wasn't smart. She was a Ravenclaw in her own right, through her art and her street smart mind thanks to a great mentor.

She rolled her eyes at the group, but when she opened her mouth to set the record straight, Gustav jumped into the conversation. "Well, I think art is great! You know, I could talk about art all day!" Gustav wiggled his eyebrows at her, and Emma sighed.

His intention of defending her was sweet. The flirting was awkward. And she was annoyed that everyone kept feeling the need to direct her life. She didn't need protection, and she didn't need people to make decisions for her.

"I don't know, you might want to consider getting your head out of the clouds and back down on earth, Emma. Think about the opportunities right in front of you." Pippa suggested in what Emma assumed was good-intentions.

"What 'opportunities'?" Emma wanted to know.

"Well, Jamie of course! He's obviously interested in you, and his family is of a good stature with connections within the Ministry. He'd be a smart choice for you!" Riley piped up again with a smile.

"Smart choice for what? And what do you mean 'for me'?" Emma asked, even more confused and a little afraid she already knew the answers to those questions.

"It's just that your family is a bit lower in class and you've been given this amazing opportunity to jump to a new level with your brother being a Guardian and all. Jamie will inherit his parents fortune and be able to provide for you really well. It would be an obvious and smart engagement." Margo explained a little more thoroughly and Emma wanted to gag as Gustav and Hiro looked confused and then realized what they were talking about.

"Marriage?!" Emma sputtered, thrown for a loop by the three girls obvious interest in the topic. Of course Emma knew that the girls, and even most of the boys, in her year were particularly interested in such a topic, due to Lady Tremaine and the Ministry trying to implement the old ways of courting and marriage into the school system through the etiquette classes, but it was still jarring to hear her classmates telling her she should be focusing on trying to find herself a husband.

"Hey! What about me?! I'm a good catch too, you know!" Gustav lifted his chin proudly and the girls simply shook their heads at him as Hiro rolled his eyes, but Emma was too stunned by the topic of conversation to really find her voice for any sort of rebuttal. She decided then would be an excellent time to make her escape and started shoving papers and folders into her bag.

"Oh, would you look at the time! I have to go meet someone back at the castle, so I should really be going. Bye!" She blurted out as she hurried passed all of her year-mates towards the door, but as she was rushing away, her ears caught the murmured exchange between the girls.

"Is it just me, or is she really weird?" Margo asked in a low tone.

"It's like she's always off in her own world, it's creepy sometimes." Riley agreed with a sympathetic look.

"Come on, just ignore her. Let's get some chocolate frogs!" Pippa told them, but Emma let the door slam shut behind her on it's own as she stalked off into the snow.

Why was her entire generation so obsessed with marriage and dating? Such a stupid thing to be focused on, in her opinion. Especially when they could be going to war within the year! She supposed it wasn't entirely their fault as it was taught to them by Lady Tremaine, but how easily the society of Hogwarts had adopted such priorities was a bit concerning. They were like a flock of sheep, willing to go wherever everyone else was going.

"Only the foolish believe suffering is just wages for being different. Only the Savage regards the endurance of pain as the measure of worth. Only the Insane equate Pain with Success." Emma's head snapped up in surprise from where she'd been glaring at the ground and she found Cat grinning down at her from his perch on top the sign for the Joke Shop.

"Cat!" She gasped, shocked to see him roaming about so freely. "What are you doing here?"

The skeletal feline climbed down into the snow and curled about her legs, his muscles coiled and his eyes focused as if he was hunting prey. His tail flicked back and forth lazily as he jumped onto a bench outside the shop and met Emma's gaze.

"You know that I am just as capable of traversing this world as I am Wonderland, just as you do." Cat purred, amused. Emma huffed, crossing her arms.

"But your change in forms is more drastic than mine. I didn't know you could take your Cheshire form in this world." Emma told him, giving him a pointed look as they both know he'd never done this before.

"Well, you're half right." Cat waved his paw in a circle motion as if to help the words find their way. "Think of it as me projecting myself through you. I am but an image of myself, which makes it easy for me to choose any form. When I speak, only you will hear."

"But others can see you? And if you're only an image, how are you solid?" Emma questioned, her curiosity growing with the complexity of such a spell.

"Yes, others will see me, but I am only solid to you." Cat purred, his eyes fixating on her own. "Your imagination is powerful magic, and this spell is of my own workings. You could say I'm testing the limits of our connection through Wonderland."

"This isn't going to make my brain explode, is it? I have too much trouble with it already." Emma quipped and Cat chuckled deep in his throat.

"In that case, it may solve some of your problems, but that won't be a concern with this spell. It is only a modified telepathy spell." Cat explained.

"So this is all in my head?" Emma asked, not sure if she should be relieved or concerned about everything happening in there.

"For the most part, yes." Cat nodded. "I will be here to guide and assist you when I can, but there are other matters that demand my attention."

"I understand." Emma nodded in return, and then smiled softly. "I'm glad you're here."

"Ah, but will you still be thinking that when I've gotten you into trouble?" Cat grinned wickedly, leaning his head forward before sitting up straight again.

"It seems whether you're here or not, I'm in trouble, so may as well make the trouble fun and useful." Emma waved her hand dismissively. "So, what should I do?"

"Do I really look like I know? Your judgement must be severely impaired." Cat said, his attention more focused on licking his paw then on Emma who pursed her lips.

 _Sometimes_ Cat was helpful.

"Steps to enlightenment brighten the way; but the steps are steps. Take them one at a time." Cat advised, his expression morphing into something a little more sincere. "Enjoy the time outside the castle, such freedom may be hard to come by in the future."

"I suppose..." Emma muttered, but before she could continue with another question, there was a loud shout and something, or rather, _someone_ slammed into her and they fell into the snow in a tangle of limbs and winter robes and scarves.

"Oww," Emma groaned as she slowly pushed herself up after the larger form had finally managed to roll off of her.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to -Oh, Emma!" Jim's blue eyes stared slightly down at her from where he sat right beside her in the snow, and Toby ran up to them, panting and gasping for breath.

"Are you guys... Okay?..." He wheezed, bending over with his hands on his knees.

"I think so. What are you two doing?" Emma looked at the pair, her head tilting to one side and they both seemed to get a little nervous.

"Uhh... Well, you see, it's just -Well," Jim said, clearing his throat. "T-Toby's scarf blew away in the wind, and I, uh, was running to catch it, but I guess since I was so focused on the scarf I didn't see you. Sorry about that." Jim smiled sheepishly as he stood and offered her both his hands to help her up.

Emma accepted them with a smile, shaking her head slightly. "That's alright. Are you okay?"

"Who? Jimbo? Of course he's fine! He's way more durable than any normal human!" Toby scoffed only to receive a sharp look from Jim and immediately start backtracking. "Not that, you know, Jim isn't totally a normal human! Haha! I mean, look at him! So skinny! Just your average, completely normal, completely not magical in any non-wizard way!" Toby forced a smile and Jim slapped his hand against his face.

Emma looked at Cat and shrugged. Cat just chuckled through a soft purr.

"Whoa, that is one ugly cat," Toby grimaced, finally spotting Cat sitting on top of the bench.

"Tobes, that's rude!" Jim reminded him, and Toby started as if realizing what he'd just said.

"Oh! Not like ugly as in, you know, _Ugly_. No, no, no! It's one of those new things, like how when people say something's bad, they mean that it's good, you know? Hahahaha... I'm just gonna stop talking now." Toby straightened up, locking his arms behind his back and pressing his lips together. Emma laughed.

"Don't worry, Cat isn't exactly your typical feline." Emma waved it off, but Cat sniffed at the boy and jumped off the bench, wandering over to wind around her legs. Every bone visible underneath his skin and matted fur.

"So, he is yours?" Jim asked, looking down at Cat.

"Mmm, I wouldn't say he's _mine_. I think it's more along the lines of he adopted me." Emma smiled, meeting Cat's gaze as they looked at each other knowingly.

"Cats can be like that. My Nana has a whole bunch of them." Toby told her.

"Where are you heading?" Jim asked.

"Oh, uh..." Emma glanced off to the side, feeling a bit self-conscious about being weird, but finding nothing to say. "Well, I was just standing here talking to Cat. I was at Honeydukes, but things got a little... Loud. So I left, and I thought I would head back to the castle, but Cat thinks I should enjoy the freedom outside while I have it."

"Cat sounds pretty smart to me." Jim smiled, which made the knot in Emma's chest loosen a little. Maybe not everyone thought she was weird. "We heard there was a bookshop here, and we were gonna go see if there's anything that will help us figure out this clue for the Second Challenge." Jim confided to her, pulling the little rolled up slip of paper from his pocket to show to her. "You wanna come?"

"Yeah, that's a great idea! You're one of those Falcon-paws, right? The really smart ones? I bet you can figure this out in no time!" Toby beamed brightly at her in his excitement.

"It's Ravenclaw," Emma giggled, feeling her face get a little warm at the praise, but feeling happy that they had such faith in her. "But I'd be happy to help. Besides, you're going the wrong way; the bookstore is that way." She pointed diagonally in the opposite direction. "Just don't tell anyone. Some of my classmates may not like me helping another school's champion." She teased lightly, and they all laughed together.

Emma lead the two Durmstrang boys through the town to the bookstore as they filled her in by allowing her to read the clue for herself: _Travel down into the deep, to find what it is you seek. But beware the stranger sounds, else you'll find yourself bound. An hour long you have to look so tarry not, Lest what you want stays here to rot._

"So it's pretty obvious that we'll only have an hour for the challenge, and I was thinking that maybe it'll be underground since they were talking about 'the deep'. But we still don't have a clue what the warning is for." Jim said, pointing to different parts of the poem.

"I think I know what it means, but I'll need to double check to make sure. How are you at swimming?" Emma asked.

"Uhh..." He said, and Emma tilted her head at his hesitation.

"Jimbo can swim, but he _Hates_ the water. Why?" Toby answered instead, and rather than looking either boy in the face, Emma just looked forward with a shrug.

"Most likely the next challenge is going to happen underwater." She said, pushing open the door to the bookstore and then holding it open for the two boys.

"Oh, come on!" Jim said.

"Hey, wait! The sign says no pets -Wait, where did Cat go?" Toby asked, looking around to see if he could spot Cat.

"Oh, he comes and goes. Don't worry about him. Let's see what we can figure out for Jim." Emma said as Jim walked passed her with a grateful smile and Toby followed close behind.

* * *

The halls around the Auror's Office were dark and empty during the dinner feast, which made Emma's sneaking around a lot easier. She quietly slipped into the office and started towards the back of the room where the back storage closet was. She tried turning the knob on the door, but it was locked and Emma cursed under her breath.

"Remember, Emma, don't curse the darkness or the cold when you're in the library at night."

Emma turned, glaring blandly at Cat who was sitting atop one of the desks closest to her. His green eyes glowed brightly through the darkness of the office, but Emma just rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand.

"Alohomora," She said and the door unlocked, swinging open for her without any trouble. "Are you going to be useful, or just keep pestering me about manners?"

"'Seek and ye shall find' they say, but they don't say _What_ you'll find." Cat said as he jumped down from the desk and followed her into the storage room. "Keep your ears and eyes open, even to things you may not want to know. It's the only way you'll find the truth."

"Quite." Emma said, pulling out a drawer from the bottom of the file cabinet.

Using her wand for light, she picked through the files and scanned over the content of each one for anything that could be useful. She was searching older files, which seemed counter productive for trying to figure out a current string of crimes, but she was starting to think some of the dragon incidents went deeper than any of them thought. From what she had gathered from the files and from Wonderland, they had Pitch to worry about, but they also had someone else. An enemy they didn't know that was causing trouble, and as far as Emma could see, that was much more dangerous than the threat they could see in front of them.

She was determined to figure out both mysteries. She'd have to if she was going to convince the Guardians and the Aurors that Pitch Black and his army weren't their only concern.

Half an hour later, Emma was still sitting in the back room, reading by the light of her wand. She set yet another file to the side, sighing before she turned and looked in at the last few files remaining in the drawer, and she stopped.

There, at the back of the drawer and buried behind all the other files, was a plain case file labeled 'Hiccup' in a messy scrawl that Emma was too familiar with. It was Jack's case file. All of the evidence he'd put together in his search for what really happened to his best friend.

Emma picked up the file, sitting back heavily as she stared at the file, unwilling to open it, but not wanting to let it go.

"Such a heavy burden will only cause you trouble in the future." Cat warned her from somewhere behind her, but Emma shook her head.

"I don't care," She said quietly. "I need to keep this safe. There might be people who want to destroy it to erase evidence, or maybe people who want to make false accusations. Besides, it's my job to protect these secrets, isn't it?" She looked over her shoulder at him, only a little surprised to see the Cheshire Cat wasn't smiling.

"Will you always ignore my warnings?" He asked.

"Probably." Emma answered softly. "But I made you a promise, and I'm going to stick to it."

Voices out in the corridor alerted them to someone approaching the office. Cat vanished into thin air and Emma hurried to shove the files back into the drawer before rushing out of the storage closet and locking the door behind her with one hand as the other grappled with the files she'd selected to take with her.

She pushed her way out of the office, only to bump into someone right outside the door. She stumbled and dropped all of the files cradled in her arm. Dropping to her knees, Emma frantically collected the files, trying to cover them before whoever was standing over could see any connection between the files that might incriminate her; namely, _Dragons_.

She reached for the last one, Hiccup's file, but stopped when she realized it was underneath a polished, black shoe. Slowly, Emma looked up at the man standing over her and her shoulders tensed a little when she met the unimpressed gaze of Prime Minister Claude Frollo.

The Prime Minister calmly reached down and picked up the file, inspecting it with a sharp eye. "Curious," He said, drawing out the 's' just a little with his quiet tone. It reminded Emma of a rattle snake. "And what is someone so young doing in the Auror's Office during the evening meal?"

"Nothing, Sir. Just some filing. Getting the older cases out of the way to make space for all the newer ones coming in." Emma said, accepting the file when the Prime Minister held it out to her.

"I see." He said. "Perhaps you would do better to join your friends at the feast. A young lady's social life is very important. It would be a shame for such a pretty face to waste away in some Dark, Rotted corner." His spoke slowly, clearly.

"I'll take that into consideration, Sir." She murmured.

"Excellent," The Prime Minister said, folding his hands behind his back and watching Emma as she inched around him and started in the direction of the basement where their expansive storage rooms were.

Once she turned the corner, she breathed a sigh of relief. That man gave her the creeps, and his intense stare her the hairs along her arms sticking up.

"Flattering words often insights their object to rash action. Learn their true meaning." Cat said, appearing beside her, matching her stride as she walked.

"So you heard the threat there too, right? It's not just me being crazy?" Emma asked, wanting to be sure she wasn't just being paranoid due to her dislike of the man.

"The Prime Minister is a powerful and influential man. Be careful around him, Emma." Cat said, his tone leaving no room for arguments or jokes. Emma just nodded.

"So what's next? Will he be watching me now?" She questioned.

"It's possible he already was watching you. This game is a treacherous one, Emma. Do not trust the Prime Minister." Cat told her.

"This game isn't so hard, and I won't stop until I find the truth. It could mean the difference between going to War or sustaining peace." Emma insisted, holding the files closer to her chest.

"You've only just started playing, girl. There's still plenty more for you to learn." Cat said. "But sense you know the moves best play with whites. They go first."


	15. Hoist the Colors

**Music:** "Hoist The Colors" from _Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End_

_NOTES: You sometimes think you want is to Disappear, but all you really want is to be Found..._

**Chapter 15: Hoist The Colors**

Two weeks had passed since their escape from Fort Sinister and the crew had made an unanimous decision to head North for the safety of the familiar. Eret had them set a course for a Northern Sanctuary by the name of Tortuga which was a small island just west of the Archipelago's borders. It was warmer there, despite it still being the middle of winter, and having made it through the Allied Kingdoms' waters without a run-in with the Prime Minister's forces, the BlueBlazer crew was able to breathe easy.

Cat was just happy for a distraction. There was plenty to explore in Tortuga from the market where one could buy anything imaginable, to the wrestling pit where anyone could make bets on who would manage to pin their opponent first despite the slippery mud. However, despite his desire to avoid and distract himself, Cat had a greater desire to be close to Toothless. To be secure in the comfort and clarity of their bond.

After looking through the busy and bustling town to see what was going on, Cat retreated to the small forge on the island. It was a shabby little building on the outskirts of town with obvious signs of lack of up-keep. There was no official smith in Tortuga, so the forge was free to use for anyone who could figure out how to use the equipment. It was lucky for Cat, though, because it meant the forge was private and rarely visited. The position of it, a little outside the edge of the main town, made it easy for Toothless to slip in through the back unnoticed.

Toothless lit the forge for Cat and then curled up in the corner, snoring softly as Cat moved through the forge, picking through tools and gathering supplies for his most recent project.

Cat knew that Toothless had made it clear that he no longer wanted to fly without him, but after everything that had happened at Fort Sinister, Cat couldn't help but think that if Toothless had been able to fly without him they all could've escaped a whole lot of trouble. Cat didn't ever want Toothless to get captured because of him again.

Besides, his new design for the tail wasn't entirely self-sufficient. His ultimate goal was to figure out a way to make the tail capable of manual operation as well as automatic, but for now he figured a good compromise he would be able to convince Toothless to wear was a tail with a locking mechanism that would allow him to at least glide on his own. It was completely practical and sensible. What with their less-than-safe occupation, Cat wanted to be sure that only one dragon would be downed if they were separated.

His hands froze in their work at that thought, and he swallowed hard. Taking a shaky breath, he went back to his work, his hands moving a little faster than before as if the faster he was doing something, the faster he'd be distracted again.

He let himself become enveloped by the smell of melted metal and freshly cut leather as he worked with the smaller mechanics of Toothless's tail and the saddle attachments. The familiarity of moving about a small forge was relaxing as long as he didn't think too much about the bittersweet ache in the bottom of his chest.

"So this is where you sneaked off to." The loud voice from out of nowhere didn't startle him because he'd been expecting Talia to track him down eventually, and if he was being honest he had sensed her approaching for a while now. But he was a pirate; he didn't have to be honest.

Talia strolled into the forge, turning around to take in the whole space as she walked over to where Cat was working on his project. She leaned back against the table Cat was facing and looked down at him, but he didn't meet her gaze.

"How are you?" She asked. Her posture was casual; the heels of her hands braced on the edge of the table she was leaning against, and her spine relaxed, but they both knew better.

"Fine." Cat replied, clicking two pieces together and then picking up the leather to attach it to the metal skeleton of the tail.

"A lot has happened... What are you working on?" She asked, leaning her head back a bit to get a better look.

"A locking mechanism for Toothless's tail. So if we get separated he can glide on his own, which in the right situation could make the difference between getting captured or not." Cat told her, snapping open the finished tail and pulling the switch for the lock so he could test it.

"Smart." Talia said, crossing her arms over her chest as they lapsed into silence again. It lasted for a few minutes as Cat fiddled with little adjustments to the tail's mechanics, but soon the silence just became too much for him and he sighed, putting the tail down on the table and finally looking at Talia.

"Why are you here, Talia?" He asked, feeling tired and weighted.

"We're worried about you, Cat." She whispered. " _I'm_ worried. You don't talk about what happened. You don't talk at all. You've been distant..."

"I'm fine," Cat said quietly, holding his left hand in a tight grip.

"No," Talia said, shaking her head and pushing off the table. She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "You're not okay, and you don't have to be. Talk to me, Cat."

He wouldn't look at her. He didn't speak. He wasn't sure he could. He swallowed hard and felt his chin tremble.

"They put a muzzle on me." His voice wouldn't work, so it came out on a breath more than any sound, but Talia seemed to hear it. Her hand tightened on his shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug.

He couldn't bring himself to return it. Not after the damage he'd caused. Not while he was hiding things from her and everyone else. But Toothless crooned softly and walked over, pressing his head against his back as way of comfort. Toothless was the one person in the whole world who knew everything.

"I know you aren't telling us everything," Talia said, pulling back and holding onto his shoulders. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "And you don't have to. But if you ever want to talk about it. If you ever need anyone. I'm here for you. And so is Eret."

"I know." He nodded and tried to take a breath. "I'm just... I'm scared."

"Of what?" Talia questioned, pulling him back to the stool at the desk and then lifting herself up to sit on top of the desk.

"I lost control, Talia." Cat admitted, feeling shame like a heavy weight on his shoulders. "Maybe it was the muzzle, or the drugs -Call it whatever you want, but... I almost killed five people. It seems like every time I lose control, it gets worse than the time before, and..." Cat took a deep breath and then let it out all at once. "I saw Pitch Black."

"What?" Talia said.

"He was there in the throne room while I was chained up and alone. Everything he said just keeps ringing in my ears." Cat said, looking up to meet Talia's gaze. "I guess it was all just a harsh reminder that... I don't know _What_ I am. And I don't know how to control it."

"Cat, it wasn't your fault -" Talia tried to tell him, but he shook his head.

"I know what you're gonna say, but it doesn't change the fact that their blood was on my hands." Cat said, feeling a little sick in his stomach. Talia sighed, her gaze falling to the floor. "You know, back at the end of our first year, North told us about these things called _Centers_. Something special inside each Gaurdian that they put into the world and protect in children. I remember thinking that if I could find mine, than maybe I'd understand what I'm supposed to be... But I've been waiting and searching for pretty much my whole life, and I haven't found any light. In fact, everything seems to get darker the further I go trying to find my destiny."

"I can't say that I know much about Destiny, or prophecies, or these Centers, but I do know that even if you can't choose _What_ you are, you can always choose _Who_ you are." Talia said, giving him a gentle smile. "...And I know sometimes things feel hopeless, like you're spiraling down and it's dark and you feel alone, but just when you think you're out for the count, you get kidnapped by a dragon and his rider," She gave him a wry look and Cat chuckled as Toothless warbled happily. "After all, Talia's Rules of Training; Rule number twenty-five!"

"Pressure Makes Diamonds." Cat responded easily, smiling up at her. She expression softened and her hand returned to his shoulder.

"Remember that there are people that believe in you, Cat."

Before either of them could say more, they heard a rushed galloping just before the door to the forge burst open and Kid the Goat came running over to the, bleating and fussing as he bucked and reared in circles in front of them.

"Something's wrong," Talia said, pushing off the table as Cat stood.

Toothless moved closer, making a curious growl. Kid skidded to a halt with a bleat of terror and then ran to hide behind Talia's legs. Cat met Toothless, pressing their foreheads together, and then pulled back.

"Wait here, bud. We'll go check this out." He said.

 _"Are you sure you'll be alright?"_ Toothless looked at him, _Worry_ and _Comfort_ radiating from him.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. I've got Talia with me." Cat smiled, looking over at Talia who nodded. He turned back and pressed his forehead to Toothless's again, returning his dragon's feelings with _Thanks_ and _Hope_.

In the next moment, Cat and Talia were racing towards the town with Kid the Goat following behind, though throwing worried and confused looks between the forge where Toothless was still hidden and the two children he'd come to fetch. Once they got to the market, they immediately spotted the large crowd surrounding a man who was screaming and waving his arms in giant gestures. There were a few people who had stepped into the clearing the people had made to give the screaming man space, trying to calm him down and guide him inside the Inn.

"They're coming for us! Coming for us all!" The man screamed, his face a blotchy red as spittle flew from his lip. "He'll Hang us all!" People gasped and cried in horror, flinching away from the man and his terrifying message.

"What is he talking about?" Cat wondered, his brow furrowing as he tried to look closer at the man. His clothes were ragged and worn, nothing more than a shirt and pants, and his hair was tangled and matted.

"He was one of three survivors from a shipwreck. They were brought in two days ago. He's the only one who woke up." Both kids turned to find Esmerelda standing behind them, but her eyes were on the man, her expression unreadable. Kid the Goat sat at her feet looking worried.

"What happened to them?" Cat questioned, and Esmeralda glanced at him before returning her eyes to the scene before them.

"Their ship was attacked by a Magic of Ministry vessel. From what we were able to gather, their options were to surrender and stand trial before the Prime Minister, which would have lead them to the gallows, or fight and be destroyed. They fought bravely, but their ship was no match for a vessel like that. The latest engineering and sailed by wizards." Esmeralda said, sighing as the man shoved another man away when he tried to grab hold of his arm.

"That doesn't make any sense, why would the Ministry attack so randomly? And you said they got here only two days after the attack? What on earth is the Ministry's forces doing so far north? They've never patrolled the far north before." Talia asked, looking up at Esmeralda, but also catching Cat's eye for a moment.

"It's been escalating since the end of Summer. It started with small time, land criminals, but now the Prime Minister has extended his efforts to pirates." Esmeralda told them, keeping her voice low. "There's been rumors that he may even wage a war against our people."

" _War?_ But that's insane!" Talia said.

"The Prime Minister will send all of us to the gallows! He will bring destruction by magic to all of our ships, our sanctuaries! We have nowhere to hide!" The man shrieked, breaking down in sobs as one of the other men finally restrained him in a giant bear-hug from behind.

The few men that had been trying to calm him worked together to carry the man inside where he wouldn't be able to scare the sanctuary's inhabitants anymore, but the lingering murmurs and tense atmosphere only increased as _Fear_ flooded into the air.

"With Pitch running around causing trouble you'd think the Ministry would be more concerned about him than simple pirates." Cat muttered, sharing another look with Talia because she looked as confused and uncertain as he felt.

"This is getting worse." Their small group turned at Eret's voice, watching as the man walked over to them. He met Esmeralda's eyes and something passed between the two silently as they nodded at each other. "We need to call a meeting."

"It will be difficult to convince everyone to come, but we have to try. Once they've heard what's happened, I'm sure they'll be more willing to play nice." Esmeralda agreed.

"What are you talking about? What meeting are you going to have?" Talia questioned them, but Eret shook his head.

"I need you two to stay out of trouble. Esmeralda and I have some serious business to take care of." Eret told them, his eyes hard as he looked at each of them, but they softened as he placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "I promise I'll explain everything in a little while, but for now it's best if we keep this as quiet as possible."

"It wasn't some random ship that was attacked, was it?" Cat asked quietly, locking gazes with Eret who sighed and then leaned in.

"No, it wasn't. One of the Nine Pirate Lords has fallen, and at the very least we need to nominate who will take his place. We hope it will also open discussions about what to do with the threat of the Ministry closing in on our waters." Eret explained to them in a quiet hiss. "Promise me you'll stay out of trouble until I get back. Go to the ship and stay with the men. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Alright," Talia agreed and Cat nodded silently.

"Good." Eret said, straightening up and turning to Esmeralda. They nodded at each other again and then set off at a quick pace towards the back of the Inn.

"Come on," Cat nudged Talia's arm. "We need to get Toothless from the forge and get back to the ship."

Talia nodded and they both started back the way they had come from, but Cat noticed her looking in the direction Eret and Esmeralda had gone. He couldn't blame her. He was worried about what was coming too.

He had a horrible feeling crawling up his spine.


	16. Set Yourself Free

**Music:** "Set Yourself Free" from _Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure_ (the series)

_NOTES: Let no one Cage who you were Born to be._

**Chapter 16: Set Yourself Free**

The hospital wing of the castle was quiet and bright with the winter sun shining through the tall, thin windows. The flowers on the bedside tables were old and needed replacing. Rapunzel hummed quietly to herself as she mixed different herbs in a mixer with the small crusher, and Pascal was napping off to the side on the large table. Things had been busy for the healers at Hogwarts with the new classes for the girls. Rapunzel was surprised when there were only girls and no boys had come, but she supposed that was just their young egos finding more interest in Auror work than in the fine and precise arts of medicine.

Both jobs were important, and as long as they had enough people for both, everything important would get done. Though, Rapunzel was a bit disappointed that Emma's magic wasn't very compatible with healing. The younger girl was focused and determined, and Rapunzel was naturally fond of her as much as Jack and Merida. Rapunzel worried about Emma a lot, too. The younger girl thought Rapunzel didn't know about the trouble she'd been getting into, but just a while back Rapunzel had been out early one morning collecting morning glory roots only to spot Emma soaking wet, wearing nothing but a thin night gown, and climbing up the snow-covered hill towards the castle from the ocean. Rapunzel didn't know how to help the girl, mostly because she had no idea what was going on in her head, but the behavior she'd been witnessing lately was concerning at the very least.

Aside from her duties as one of the school's healers and her now only part-time Guardian duties, Rapunzel also had the Tournament to worry about. It had been a few weeks since the first task, and everyone was looking forward to the winter break that was fast approaching. Rapunzel, however, was more focused on the clue she had yet to entirely decipher. She had figured out that their next challenge was going to be under water, but the bit about 'Stranger Sounds' and 'being bound' was concerning to say the least.

Still, she couldn't lose her nerve. She'd known when she had put her name in that goblet that these challenges would be treacherous, and if she were to let one ominous poem scare her then she had no place in such a Tournament. After two weeks of digging through somewhat familiar books in the library Rapunzel had found a way to breathe under water for the required hour. Since she'd gotten the most prominent issue handled fairly early on she'd been trying to think of ways that she would be able to fight under water, that way she would be prepared for whatever was waiting for them 'down there'.

Inspecting the crushed herbs, Rapunzel found them to be satisfactory dumped the mixture into a jar for safe keeping. After sealing the lid nice and tight, she moved into the back storage closet full of shelves that were brimming with herbs, medicines, books, bandages, medical tools, and a hundred other necessary pieces of equipment.

She had just set about tucking the jars of mixtures she'd made into their proper space on one of the lower shelves when she heard voices out in the main room. She recognized them immediately as Dr. Sweet and North, but their conversation sounded tense. Rapunzel inched over to the door, standing against the wall next to it as she assured herself that it wasn't eavesdropping! She was simply waiting for an appropriate time to rejoin them in the main room as it sounded like their conversation was very important and private. If she just happened to overhear something, well, then it couldn't be helped, right?

"...evaluate her progress yourself?" Dr. Sweet was in the middle of saying, and Rapunzel was surprised that he actually sounded a bit exasperated with Professor North.

"You know why we cannot!" North said. "King Frederic was very specific... And to some extent I must agree with him."

"You couldn't possibly think that Rapunzel is incapable of handling herself as a Guardian-!" Sweet started, but North shushed him quickly.

"Of course not! Rapunzel will make an excellent Guardian one day, but she is our only healer, and she is still learning to fight." North reasoned.

"I disagree with you. Rapunzel is more than accomplished in fighting. Maybe she's not as natural at it as Jack and Merida, but she can hold her own. She's the most powerful of the three, I'm certain!" Dr. Sweet said.

"I know." North replied, but his tone sounded grave. "Rapunzel's magic is very powerful and there is still a chance that she can use the flower's magic. She used it to save Eugene, after all. I do not believe King Frederic's concerns for her safety are invalid, Dr. Sweet."

"You think it was right of him? To demand she be removed from Guardian training?" Dr. Sweet asked, and Rapunzel's hand shot up to her mouth to keep the gasp from escaping.

"It is only until the Tournament is over. He was only willing to let her continue in the Tournament after I convinced him that it would be safer for her to be focused on winning school-controlled challenges than to be chasing after Pitch when we have no idea the strength of him or his forces." North heaved a heavy sigh. "Besides, with the Ministry unwilling to cooperate this seemed to be a fairly good medium that was able to satisfy everyone."

"So you're slipping Merida and Jack in where you can because only the Ministry will care if they're caught, but with Rapunzel there's a concern with King Frederic?" Dr. Sweet summarized and Rapunzel's arms fell to her sides, her fists clenching tight.

"Unfortunately, yes." North said. "That is why I am asking you to refine her training as a healer as much as you can. Between the Tournament and your teachings, I hope that Rapunzel will continue to grow strong."

"I understand. I don't like it! But I understand." Dr. Sweet said. "I'll make sure to teach her everything I can."

"Thank you," North said as their footsteps started fading towards the entrance again. "Now I believe Captain Amelia will be waiting for us..."

As their voices faded, Rapunzel stepped into the doorway, feeling numb and sick. She leaned heavily against the door jamb and took a deep, shuttering breath. Her arms wrapped around herself as her eyes and cheeks started to burn, but she screwed her eyes shut and shook her head. She would not cry. She was so tired of crying.

She pushed herself onto her feet and walked over to the nearest bed, sitting down heavily as she let out a huge breath all at once. Her own father had convinced North to remove her from Guardian training. Granted the Ministry was also part of it, but Rapunzel couldn't believe that after everything she'd done her father still saw her as fragile. He was still over protective and trying to keep her inside walls that he deemed safe enough.

"There is so much more to me than you think." Rapunzel said, wishing her father were there so he could hear her. Pascal climbed up onto her arm, having woken up when the two men walked in, and he looked at her with sad and worried eyes. Rapunzel looked up towards the window, the dead flower on the bedside table silhouetted by the blue sky beyond the window frame. _"Locked inside a tower. Kept behind a wall. Sheltered from a world you've barely known... That's the way they treat you, and what's worst of all, who's to blame? Just you and you alone."_

She stood and moved over to the flower, Pascal watching her from the bed helplessly, and she lifted the head a bit to try to make it look a little more lively, but the poor thing just dropped back into it's droopy position when she removed her hand's support. Rapunzel looked up and out the window, the sky wide and open with only a few fluffy clouds and two sparrows flitting about until they flew off into the sky.

 _"There's much more inside of you than anyone can see,"_ Rapunzel sang, watching those birds fly and her back straightened with new determination. She turned and walked back to the center of the giant, spinning around with her arms spread wide. _"And now the choice is yours, Life waits beyond the doors, So step on through the time has come, And only you can set yourself free!"_ She threw open the doors of the Hospital wing into the wide corridor, memories of her and her friends adventures at the school rushing through her mind. Their time in the dungeons when they found Pitch, or the fight against Gothel, or when the boys were turned into bears and they stole King Fergus's favorite carriage.

 _"No one else can tell you what to do or who to be! No one gets to say if you will stay or go,"_ She started running down the hall, towards the end of the corridor where it ended with a sharp right and a balcony ran the length of the next hall. She opened the glass doors and jumped up onto the stone railing of the balcony, looking out at the far horizon of the sea as the wind rushed through her short hair. _"So use the gift you're given, Make the world your own, Look inside your heart and find the key, And set yourself free!"_ She twirled on top of the railing twice, looking at that incredible view once more before jumping down with a huge grin. She marched purposefully back towards the Hospital wing.

 _"Bound up by your worries. Trapped by your mistakes. Forced to play a role you've never chose."_ She thought about how worried she was over everyone and everything; her friends and family. She remembered her mistakes of trusting Gothel, or not being able to save Hiccup, or disappointing her father. She considered the fact that maybe she would have preferred not being a princess with so many responsibilities thrust upon her since her birth and how it was now preventing her from really experiencing the life she wanted.

 _"Why not test your limits? You've got what it takes! Let it out and follow where it goes!"_ She walked briskly into the Hospital wing to the back table where her bag was stashed underneath. Pulling it out, Rapunzel reach into it and retrieved a notebook that she'd gotten from Hiccup during her second year. Inside were endless drawings and paintings of her and her friends and all their memories, good and bad. The most recent was of the Goblet of Fire when she decided to put her name into the cup and confided in her journal about it. _"No more letting someone else define you to a "T"! You know that you are strong, You've known it all along, So seize the day, Let down your hair, You'll find a way to set yourself free!"_ She flipped through her journal, reminding herself of everything she'd done, everything she'd been through, and how she'd grown through it all. She knew she could be a great Guardian, and she knew that she could win this Tournament.

 _"Now it's up to you and what you'll do and who you'll be! You get to decide how far and wide you'll go!"_ She finally got to the first blank page and smiled. She pulled out her paints and brushes and let her hand move where it wanted to go, rushing across the paper as her excitement and determination grew. _"So look to the horizon, Open up your wings, Fly away to find your destiny, And set yourself free!"_

With one final stroke, Rapunzel leaned back, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead as she appreciated her newest piece of art, Pascal peering over the top of her notebook and then looking up at her with a bright smile.

It was a brilliant phoenix with it's wings spread wide in flight. All reds and oranges, and yellows, bright and majestic and proud. Rapunzel grinned and scratched the top of Pascal's head, finding all the strength and determination she needed in that painting.

"Come on, Pascal. Let's go figure out how we're gonna win this Tournament." Rapunzel said, holding out her hand for Pascal. He grinned and crawled onto her hand and then her shoulder when she lifted him to it. Rapunzel packed up her things and then hurried out of the Hospital wing to find Merida and Jack.

In her excitement, she didn't notice that out of all the wilted flowers in the wing, the one she touched was suddenly brand new. It shimmered with gold dust, the white rose once wilted and dead, now alive and blooming with a slight glow.

* * *

"Welcome to the second task!" Professor North announced with his wand pressed to his throat, making his voice echo across the lake and the three watched towers that had been constructed in the middle of it as viewing platforms for the audience.

Rapunzel stood on the middle one with the teachers and the other Champions. To her right she could see Jack and Merida waving at her and giving her thumbs-ups and smiles of encouragement. Emma was next to them with a Durmstrang boy that Rapunzel recognized as one of Jim's friends, and Rapunzel smiled at Emma when she waved enthusiastically at her. It was nice to see the younger girl with someone closer to her own age.

Rapunzel was dressed in a wet suit with the Hufflepuff colors, the yellow stripes displayed proudly for all to see. Elsa was dressed in a pale blue suit that looked to be pants and a long sleeved top that gave way to a semi-skirt. Jim was dressed in a Durmstrang wet suit that looked just a bit too large for him, probably due to the fact that the Professors of Durmstrang had been expecting a slightly older Champion and prepared for the tournament based on that assumption.

"The second clues, treasures of sorts, are hidden somewhere on the bottom of the Black Lake!" North continued as a hush fell over the crowd listening to him. "In order to win, each Champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. However, they will only have one hour to do so. And one hour only. After that they will be on their own. No magic will save them."

Rapunzel had some doubts about that last part being true, especially in her own case, but she didn't allow herself to dwell on it. Instead she focused her eyes on the water, she was distracted though when Jim started choking for some strange reason. She exchanged a look with Elsa and they both shrugged uncertainly, but the canon announcing the beginning of the task fired and the two shook off the distraction in favor of diving into the water.

Rapunzel caught Emma shoving Jim into the water out of the corner of her eye.

But then she hit the water and it all rushed up around her at once. Her legs started moving to propel her forward along with one arm, but her other arm reached into the very small, tight pocket on her thigh that held her wand. Pointing it at her neck and moving up to her mouth, a large, air-tight bubble form around her mouth, allowing her a pocket of oxygen. She inhaled deeply, no longer needing to hold her breath and slid her wand back into it's pocket.

Rapunzel looked around her and propelled herself further towards the bottom of the lake, swimming a steady pace as her eyes scanned the surrounding area. The Black Lake was appropriately named as the water was so clouded that you couldn't see five feet in front of you. Her limbs felt sluggish and awkward as she moved through the water, but without her sight she needed to move as quickly as possible to cover as much ground as she could in the shortest amount of time.

The deeper she went into the lake, the clearer the water became and an eerie glow that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time also help her visually. It was confusing and it made her shoulder muscles twist with anxiousness. Something about the lake wasn't quite right.

Even so, she kept swimming onward, watching fish dart about the lake-bottom and rock formations pass by beneath her. Eventually she found her way to a forest of giant seaweed plants, so thick that she had to push the strands of the slippery plants aside before she could slip through. Like thick brush in the forest, Rapunzel imagined, finding a rhythm and grace as she spun and glided through the underwater forest.

Having been kept inside for most of her childhood, Rapunzel didn't have a lot of experience in swimming, but for whatever reason she didn't feel uncomfortable or out of her element. She always found beauty and comfort in nature, no matter the setting, and at random moments she felt as though she could _Sense_ the life in the element itself; like when she walked through the woods with her bare feet brushing the earth, or noticed beams of sunlight in different places. As a child she liked to pretend it was the spirits of nature calling to her. She felt it now.

She could _Feel_ the magic in the water.

Movement off to the side caught her attention, and when she looked over, she managed to spot Jim through the tendrils of greenery. His hands were webbed, his feet had turned into flippers, and rough gills stuck out of his neck.

 _"Of course!"_ Rapunzel thought, remembering vaguely a plant that was said to give people the ability to breathe underwater. It was extremely advanced Herbology; even Rapunzel had only heard of it through all her plant-based studies because it didn't have anything to do with healing, so she had no idea how someone as young as Jim had known about it, but it was a brilliant idea.

Looking forward again, she kept moving, reaching the other side of the forest to find a large clearing with uneven ground that was covered in ancient ruins. Decayed structures with patina bathing every surface. She dove under an arch at the top of an old set of stairs, looking both directions as she surveryed her surroundings.

She was floating at the top of the rise just before the earth gave way to a giant pit, like a reverse volcano. Down at the very center of the ditch something sparkled and, upon closer inspection, Rapunzel spotted three small boxes that had clearly not been there for too long. Simple wood boxes with silver decorations.

Rapunzel grinned and shoved herself off of the ruins, shooting through the water towards her prize, but just when she was about half way there, the water rushed around her with a sudden current. Looking up, Rapunzel gasped at the giant tentacle that was coming down at her through the water. She yanked her wand from her pocket and shouted, "Ventus!"

The jet of wind that burst from the tip of her wand propelled her off to the side just in time to avoid the tentacle that crashed onto the lake floor, sending up a huge cloud of sand. Rapunzel followed the tentacle and found that it belonged to a Kraken.

The giant octopus gave a mighty roar, it's limbs wiggling and curling around the ditch to protect the treasures hidden at the very center. Rapunzel swam back and forth, twisting and turning to avoid the crushing strength of the tentacles that were closing in around her. She rushed towards the top of the ditch, the last opening left for her, but another tentacle slammed down right in front of her, blocking the path.

Rapunzel raised her wand, but just as she was about to attack, an explosion caused a burst of bubbles and a flare of light. The Kraken shrieked and moved the tentacle, revealing Jim floating there with his own wand. He waved for her to 'come on', and Rapunzel hurried to swim towards him.

They swam until they were a safe distance from the Kraken, watching it from the top of the rise as it curled around the little chests. It's back tentacles waved about behind it's bulbous head as it's bulging eyes moved slowly across the landscape.

Rapunzel tilted her head curiously at the creature, and then looked at Jim next to her. She could see him swallow as he stared down at the giant creature, and then he met her gaze. He shrugged, and Rapunzel returned the gesture. She had an idea, but she wasn't sure of the best way to test it.

As it turns out, she didn't need to. Elsa swam up to the side of the Kraken from the back and shot an ice blast at it, aiming perfectly to get through the waving limbs and hit it directly on the head. The Kraken roared and whirled on her, waving it's tentacles wildly. Elsa faced it head on, meeting each tentacle with an ice blast and a stubbornly set chin behind her own bubble head charm.

Elsa wasn't a warrior like Jack or Merida, but she was definitely a fighter. Determined and focused, unwilling to back down from a challenge until she'd overcome it. Rapunzel's cousin had always been like that.

Rapunzel decided to use her knowledge to her advantage, though, and, seeing her opening, she started moving closer to the Kraken in small increments. She ducked behind rocks and ruins, slowly getting closer and closer as Elsa tried to freeze the beast's tentacles to the lake floor despite the sand making it impossible for one person.

Rapunzel watched as Jim shot forward, swimming straight into the fight. His flippers gave him a greater advantage because he was able to move faster and more fluidly than Rapunzel or Elsa, and he used it well. Getting right in front of the Kraken's line of sight, Jim got the Kraken to chase after him with a tentacle while simultaneously trying to fend off Elsa. Rapunzel saw what the boy's plan was almost immediately as he led the tentacle up, down, and around all the other wiggly limbs of the Kraken.

Rapunzel grinned, and pushed off a rock to shoot towards the Kraken until she was floating directly behind him. She looked up at the giant, round head and waving appendages from the Kraken's one blind spot in between it's two most back tentacles. She grinned and gripped her wand tight, pointing it directly at the ground.

"Ventus Tria!" She said, and her body shot through the water faster than any creature could swim with the stronger variation of the spell. She arched her back as the spell faded, hitting the peek of her little flight directly above the Kraken, and as she angled her body so that she was looking straight at the creature, she pointed her wand toward the surface. "Ventus Tria!"

Elsa and Jim froze to look up at her as she streaked through the water right in front of the Kraken's face. She hit the lake's floor in a crouch with one leg extended for balance right next to the three little chests that the Kraken was protecting, but the Kraken hadn't taken any notice of her whatsoever. Rapunzel grinned, feeling her chest swell with happiness at the success.

What the others didn't realize was that because of the creature's giant size, it's blind-spots were also bigger. It couldn't see anything behind it, and it's bulging eyes were incapable of going crossed eyed to see something right in front of it's face. Coming from directly above lowered her chances of being seen as she slipped right into the Kraken's blind-spot, and now it didn't know that it was protecting not only the treasures, but it's enemy too.

Rapunzel reached out to grab her box, but a large movement made her head snap up in time to see Elsa take a direct hit from one of the tentacles. She went streaming through the water and hit a rock hard, her head bouncing off of it and her bubble head charm popping, forcing her to hold her breath. She grabbed her head with both hands, squeezing her eyes shut as she sank to the lake floor.

Another movement above her brought Rapunzel's eyes upward. Jim was still racing the tentacles, trying to tangle the beast in it's own limbs, and while it was working, it was a slow process. Rapunzel could see the fatigue taking it's toll on the boy as he panted. Rapunzel also noticed he was slowly losing speed and when she squinted to get a closer look, she noticed that the webbing between his fingers was smaller than before and he was scratching his neck where his gills were. His spell was wearing off faster than it should have.

 _"But why?"_ Rapunzel thought, and then she shook her head. Why it was happening didn't matter in that moment. Making a quick decision, Rapunzel grabbed all three boxes and cradled them in one arm as she pointed her wand at the ground. "Ventus Tria!"

The spell worked just as it had before, but this time the Kraken caught a flicker of movement and followed it upward, roaring in indignation as it realized Rapunzel had taken it's treasures. Looking back to see if it was chasing her, Rapunzel wasn't looking where she was going and slammed into Jim as he tried to shoot passed.

The two of them went tumbling head over heels through the water, the boxes scattering as Rapunzel's arm was flung out into the water on accident. Rapunzel managed to grab two of them even with her uncontrollable rolling, but the third started falling back towards the lake bottom. Jim chased it, kicking his feet furiously, and he snatched up the box with both hands, bringing it close to his chest as he forward-rolled into an upright position. He opened his eyes and smiled at the box in his hands, but then he looked down and an explosion of bubbles left his mouth as he screamed in fear over the Kraken that was coming straight at him.

An ice blast slammed into the side of the Kraken's head, causing it to veer off course and crash into a rock formation far off to the side. Both Jim and Rapunzel looked over and grinned at Elsa who looked exhausted but mostly okay.

Rapunzel swam over quickly and held out one box to her. Elsa took it and gave Rapunzel a nod of thanks as they both smiled at each other. Suddenly Elsa's eyes widened and she pointed behind Rapunzel, who turned to see what Elsa was trying to tell her.

Jim's spell was fading faster. His hands had returned to normal and his feet were quickly doing the same as they shortened and reformed back to human feet. He was holding onto his neck with his eyes squeezed shut as if he could feel the gills sealing up along his neck. Rapunzel and Elsa hurried over to grab one of his arms each, and the three of them started swimming as fast as they could towards the distant surface.

Rapunzel looked at Elsa, straining to her breath as bubbles sneaked out the corners of her mouth and her nose. She looked at Jim who had also resorted to holding his breath and was kicking with all his might to help propel all three of them closer toward the surface.

Reaching over to Elsa's hip, Rapunzel removed her cousin's wand from it's pocket and pressed it into her hand. Elsa looked at her with widened eyes, but Rapunzel pushed them both upwards, mouthing a charm that would get them both safely to the surface. Elsa, though reluctantly, nodding and point her wand toward the surface.

"Ascendio!" The gargled noise was enough to yank Elsa and, by extension because of her hold on his arm, Jim towards the surface of the lake. Rapunzel followed after them slowly, but steady and smiling. She knew it was the right choice even if she lost.

Breaking the surface of the water and sucking in her first real deep breath in what she assumed was almost an hour felt wonderful. Her short her flipped back out of her face and the cheering of the crowd filled her ears. Elsa and Jim crouched at the edge of the center watch tower, holding out their hands to her and calling her over. They took one of her hands each and pulled her out of the water until they were all standing huddled together and shivering from the cold, but grinning ear to ear.

"You were incredible." Elsa said, wrapping her arms around Rapunzel in a hug, which she gladly returned.

"So were you!" Rapunzel said, but she stepped back sharply, holding Elsa's shoulders and looking up slightly. "How's your head?"

"A little blood from a sharp edge, but no concussion." Elsa assured her, lightly touching the bandage that had been wrapped around her head.

"Are you alright, too?" Rapunzel asked, turning to Jim and was shocked to see him standing, though his posture was slouching a little bit in his tired state.

"I'm definitely not used to being able to swim so well or so fast. I think I over did it just a little, but I'll be fine." He said and then dipped his head in a small bow. "Thank you."

"Oh, no! I couldn't have -!" Rapunzel started to assure him that there was no need for thanking her as they had all worked together, but North walked out to the center, calling for everyone's attention with the voice projecting spell. People ducked their heads and covered their ears as he spoke.

"Having been the first to return, Elsa of Arendale is awarded first place! Followed by James Lake Jr. in second, and finally Rapunzel of Corona in third!" North announced to the gathered students. Beauxbatons cheered loudly at the news, and some of the Durmstrang students cheered for Jim. Most of Rapunzel's classmates clapped politely, but still looked disappointed. "However!" North interrupted the celebrating. "In a twist of events, we have recognized that Princess Rapunzel would have finished first had it not been for her determination to not only retrieve all three boxes so that all of our Champions could finish, but also to allow herself to be left behind to save the lives of the other two Champions. Both Elsa and James have insisted that we award Rapunzel with First Place for the challenge!"

Cheers exploded from all of the gathered Hogwarts students, and even those from the other schools as well, as Rapunzel looked at Elsa and Jim in shock. Jim only smiled brightly at her, and Elsa nudged her arm lightly with a proud smirk.

"You deserve it. We never would have gotten our boxes if you hadn't figured out that thing's blind-spot." Elsa told her, and Rapunzel felt her face grow hot at the praise and admiring looks from everyone around her.

"That was amazing!" Merida suddenly burst from crowd, shoving two large Durmstrang boys apart so she could grab hold of Rapunzel's arms and shake her excitedly. "You were great, Punzie!"

"Oh, come on! It's not that surprising. Rapunzel's always been awesome." Jack grinned throwing a towel over Rapunzel's shoulders as she laughed, feeling warm on the inside.

Then another group came barreling through the crowd, only this time they divided. Anna went to Elsa, hugging her tight, and Emma, alongside the boy Rapunzel only knew as Jim's friend, raced over to the boy Champion.

"Dude are you okay?! What the heck happened?!" The short, roundish boy exclaimed, his hands moving wildly.

"I don't understand, a human ingesting that amount of Gillyweed should've lasted a full hour, but yours barely lasted forty minutes!" Emma said, looking confused by the results and concerned about Jim's condition because of them.

 _"Well, that explains how Jim learned about Gillyweed."_ Rapunzel thought as she watched them, smiling as she tilted her head to the side. _"I wonder how those three met?"_

"Uh, haha, well, you know, maybe it was just a bad batch? Anyways, everything worked out, and being able to swim like that helped a lot." Jim coughed and sputtered a bit, but then smiled earnestly at Emma who straightened curiously and then softened, returning the smile and giving Jim a nod.

Jack looked at Emma, then at Jim, and then back to Emma, squinting. As if he was trying to figure out what was going on. Rapunzel had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, and Merida rolled her eyes and grinned widely at Jack.

"What do you say we go celebrate Rapunzel's victory!" Merida cheered to the joy of the Hogwarts students and it seemed to be enough of a distraction to pull Jack back into the fray.

The cheering was deafening and the whirlwind that followed, though hectic, was enjoyable. The students of Hogwarts gathered up their Champion and whisked her away for celebrations filled with sweet treats and butter-beer, singing and dancing. Rapunzel laughed a grinned the whole night, showing off the little box she'd gotten for her efforts, and even though she had no idea how to open it, she took a great amount of pride in that little box.


	17. The Champion's Ball

**Music:** "Voices of Spring" by Johann Strauss

_NOTES: Live and Love while we're Young..._

**Chapter 17: The Champion's Ball**

The emptied study hall was packed full of sixth-years from every house, everyone whispering and gossiping as they waited for Professor Edna to explain what was going on. The small Professor, though, was preoccupied by the technical difficulties occurring with a music box that she and Mr. Crood were huddled around, speaking to each other in hushed tones.

Rapunzel was seated on the left side of the room with all the girls, sitting towards the center of the room with Merida beside her. Meanwhile, Jack and all of the other boys had been instructed to sit on the opposite side of the room. Rapunzel was perfectly content to spend her Saturday afternoon laughing and talking with her friends, but she really should have been thinking about that little wood box she'd gotten from the second task. Not that there was much she could do as this gathering had been made mandatory by the teachers, so she ignored the feeling and focused on Merida discussing the progression of some of the younger students that they allowed into the dueling club.

The conversation didn't last, however, as Edna finally straightened and turned to address the whole class.

"The Champion's Ball," She began without pretext. "Has been a tradition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament since it's inception. The evening before the Final Task, all three schools shall gather together at the Great Moor for a night of _Well-Mannered_ Frivolity. As representatives of the Hosts for this years tournament, Professor North expects each and every one of you to place your best foot forward! And, trust me, my darlings, he means this literally, because the Champion's Ball is first and foremost a Dance!"

Immediately, all the girls turned to each other, whispering and giggling excitedly while, at the same time, the boys groaned and called out complaints that had Edna Mode grinning wickedly at all of them.

"Silence, silence!" She called out, waving her arms as she marched to the center of the room. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has commanded the respect of the Wizarding World for nearly ten centuries! We have held the title of top Wizarding School for just as long! Professor North has entrusted me with the task of ensuring none of you besmirch that name in a single evening by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!"

"Try saying that five times fast." Ruffnut leaned close to Rapunzel to snicker in her ear, and if Rapunzel were to guess by their movements alone, she'd say that Tuffnut had done the same thing to Fred who responded by actually trying to say it five times fast.

"Now," Edna continued. "To dance is to let the body breathe!" She gestured grandly before turning to the girls side. "Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight! Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance," She turned to the boys and scanned their ranks before her eyes finally stopped on Snotlout. "Mister Jorgenson!"

"Yes?" Snotlout mumbled as she walked over and held out her hand expectantly.

"Will you join me, please?" She asked, but the tone of her voice left no room for an alternative. The teen viking slowly got up and followed Professor Mode out to the center of the floor as a murmur of encouragement went through the boys. "Now, place your right hand on my waist."

"Where?" Snotlout asked, utterly confused.

"My waist, Mr. Jorgenson." Professor Mode said after rolling her eyes.

Jack let out a wolf-whistle when Snotlout complied, and the viking turned with a glare and his hand coming up with what looked like it was going to be a rather crude gesture, but Professor Mode caught his wrist and placed his hand back on her waist. A chuckle went through some of the boys, and Ruffnut and Astrid seemed to be smirking to themselves.

"Now, extend your other arm, and Mr. Crood, if you please?" Edna shook out her short hair primly as Mr. Crood tapped the music box with his wand.

An elegant waltz began to play from the extravagant horn as Professor Mode counted along with the three-four melody. The other guys were grinning and swaying in a joking manner as Snotlout stared down at his feet, seemingly not understanding anything about what was happening. Rapunzel felt a nudge on her arm and looked over at Merida, who nodded at the viking girls beside them before leaning over.

"Oi!" Merida whispered to Astrid and Ruffnut, getting their attention. "You're never gonna let him forget this, are you?"

"Never." Ruffnut confirmed with a wicked giggle and Astrid grinned even wider. Rapunzel winced for Snotlout, but couldn't help her own smile and quiet laughter that bubbled up as they watched Snotlout dance with their very short, very confident teacher.

"Everybody come together!" Professor Mode called out, unaware of their amusement.

Rapunzel stood up with the rest of the girls through varying degrees of interest. Some were extremely excited and giggly, others like Astrid or Merida seemed to be more of the opinion that the sooner they started the sooner they could finish, if their expressions were anything to go by. Rapunzel landed somewhere in the middle, always happy to dance, but also remembering the small box that was in need of her attention.

"Boys! On your feet!" Professor Mode snapped.

The other side of the room, however, was reluctant. Many of the boys slid down in their chairs, ducked their heads, or hid their eyes. A couple groaned and a few others whispered back and forth with pale and frightened complexions. Whether they were terrified, or just embarrassed, Rapunzel assumed there must have been a range of emotions, just as it was with the girls, though Rapunzel was glad that some of the boys actually looked happy and excited.

That specific waltz remained stuck in all of their heads for the next week as Professor Mode held multiple dance classes for all the students by year. A week later and everyone was completely saturated in everything to do with the Champion's Ball. The girls talked about what dresses they would wear, and boys compared dress robes in an effort to figure out what the heck was appropriate for such an event. There was plenty of discussions about makeup and flowers and ties and proper shoes.

But absolutely nothing exceeded the sheer amount of talk over who was going with who.

Everyone was talking about finding a date to the Champion's Ball. The first ones to get dates were those who already had some form of relationship beyond friendship, like Mavis and Johnny, or Justin and Lara. Couples that everyone already knew would be going together and someone simply had to ask for the sake of confirmation.

It was only two days after their first dance lesson that Rapunzel found out her friends considered her to be among those ranks of "safe" couples. She was sitting in the Great Hall, discussing the issue with Jack and Merida, when the subject of Eugene somehow came up.

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me you don't want to go with him!" Merida grinned, speaking quite loudly in her amusement.

"No! I -I mean, Yes?! I mean, well, I don't know! I shouldn't just assume that Eugene wants to go with me!" Rapunzel had said in return, but Merida rolled her eyes as Jack leaned his weight forward onto his staff even from his seated position.

"Punzie, I don't think you've got anything to worry about in that department." He said, and the way he and Merida smiled at her made Rapunzel's face heat up considerably, so she tried to turn the tables of the conversation.

"Well, what about you two? Who will you be going with?" She wanted to know.

"Not a clue." Merida answered with an easy shrug.

"The Champion's Ball is still months away. The only people freaking out about it right now are the third and fourth years." Jack agreed.

Rapunzel had been a little disappointed that she didn't have anything to tease them about, but she figured there would be plenty of time for that later. Besides, from there the topic turned to classes and the little box in Rapunzel's bag, so the talk of relationships and dating didn't come up again through their lunch hour.

A week after their first dance class found Rapunzel in the library with Eugene. Their winter break had just started, and Rapunzel would be going home for the holidays two days later. Before that, Rapunzel had decided to use her free time to try and figure out the little box clue, and Eugene joined her, saying he had some studying that he wanted to catch up on while he had the chance.

"Hmmm," Rapunzel hummed after nearly three hours, pursing her lips and rubbing her chin as she stared down at the little wooden box on the table before her.

The decorative silver was dull, the wood finely crafted and of high quality. There were no seams, no holes, no nothing. As far as Rapunzel could tell, it was just a wood cube with some metal slapped onto it.

She threw her hands up with a frustrated groan and then flopped forward onto the table. The sound of her head thumping the table must have caused Eugene to look up from the text book he'd been reading because he cleared his throat and Rapunzel tilted her neck so that she could look at him, her chin on the table now.

"Why don't we take a break, Blondie? Get outside? Stretch! Breathe some fresh air!" Eugene said, standing up as Rapunzel straightened in her own seat.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea." Rapunzel sighed, giving him a soft smile and then standing to walk with him. They packed up their things and left the library with no particular destination in mind, and after a few moments of walking, Rapunzel sighed. "This clue is a lot harder than the last one."

"Don't worry about it so much. You know, it's a known fact that the best solutions come when you're not even thinking about the problem!" Eugene said matter-of-factually.

"Is that so?" Rapunzel asked.

"It is, indeed! I'll have you know that I've traveled near and far over my many years, and I've got a lot of wisdom stored up here!" Eugene grinned, pointing to his head, and then he smiled at her. "Trust me on this one. Besides, if anyone can figure this out, it's you."

"Thanks, Eugene." Rapunzel felt her cheeks heat up a little as their eyes locked for a heartbeat, but then she looked away, reaching up to grab a long lock of hair only to be reminded that it wasn't there anymore, so she dropped her hand to rub her arm.

"So, uhh, h-how are classes going? Must be hard, keeping up with school with so many responsibilities," Eugene asked, scratching the back of his head as he waved his other hand about a little more than necessary.

"Oh, they're good," Rapunzel said, clearing her throat lightly. "I guess homework and studying is something I've always been good at, so it hasn't been too hard getting everything done. I've forgotten a few things here and there, but the teachers are usually pretty nice about giving me an extension."

"Wow, really? Man, what teachers do you have, I wanna take their classes!" Eugene said, and Rapunzel laughed.

"They'd be nicer to you if you tried a little harder." Rapunzel informed him. "They know you can do better."

"I do try! Just the other day I applied our Charms lesson to help me, ah, _Liberate_ the butter-beer Lady Tremaine confiscated from a group of poor, poor fourth-years." Eugene explained.

"I don't think _Stealing_ is quite the application they had in mind." Rapunzel replied. Eugene put a hand to his chest and gasped.

"I cannot believe my ears! That you, Blondie, would accuse me of _breaking rules?_ What kind of a man do you think I am?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, considering the trouble you and Jack have gotten yourselves into over the years..." Rapunzel sang, skipping along their path.

"Hey, I will have you know that for most of those times I was just along for the fun!" Eugene argued, but they both dissolved into laughter as they continued walking out into one of the courtyards.

"What about you? How does it feel? Getting ready to graduate and all..." She asked once they quieted down, looking up at him curiously as his smile faded to something more serious, his eyes moving towards the distant sky.

"I don't know. Feels like yesterday that I was seeing the castle for the first time. Now it's almost time to leave, and besides helping in the war efforts, I'm not really sure what I want to do with my life afterwards." Eugene told her.

Rapunzel nodded. She'd never given much thought to what she would do after she finished school. When they were younger, she'd talked with her friends about going on grand adventures. But she was older now, and she had responsibilities. As much as she may like to runaway on an epic journey, she knew her people would need her. She supposed that meant she'd go back to Corona after her own graduation to begin her official training in preparation for taking the throne. It made her wonder what would happen to the friendships she'd made in school, and how she would balance her duties as a Guardian. Could she be Queen and still manage to protect the world?

"Anyways," Eugene said, and Rapunzel looked up at him to find he was smiling at her. "I don't have the typical skill sets or the desired background for most jobs, so I guess I'll have to work on that. Maybe I'll be able to get an apprenticeship somewhere. I'm going to stick to magic though. I spent all this time getting this education, may as well use it. Besides, wizards might be a little more forgiving about my rule bending throughout my troubled childhood." He waved his hand as he grinned, and Rapunzel laughed a little.

"Seems like the future has finally caught up with us, huh? We're not kids anymore..." She sighed, looking up at the cloud-covered sky.

"Maybe... But I think it suits you," Eugene said, and Rapunzel felt her cheeks heating up again.

"You think?" She looked at him again.

"Are you kidding? You used to be so scared of everything, and now look at you! You're fighting Krakens!" Eugene exclaimed, making the both chuckle. But then his smile turned soft and warm. "I think this tournament is really helping you to shine."

"Eugene," Rapunzel felt the corners of her mouth turn up on their own and she felt her heart give a twirl. And then a thought crossed her mind.

"What? What's wrong?" Eugene straightened, and Rapunzel realized she hadn't noticed how close they'd gotten. "Is it my breath?"

"I think I just thought of how to unlock the next clue!" Rapunzel said, jumping on the balls of her feet. She popped up onto her tiptoes and kissed Eugene's cheek before darting back the way they had come from. "Thank you! You're a genius! I'll see you at dinner!"

"Wait! Rapunzel, I wanted to ask..." Eugene called after her, but she had already disappeared into the castle, not hearing his half-hearted attempt to get her attention.

* * *

The girls' bathroom was neat and clean and smelled subtly of coconut. Rapunzel grinned as she watched the multiple spouts filling the giant tub full of steamy water. She normally didn't take baths right in the middle of the day, but she was too eager to wait until after dinner. She turned the knob to turn off the water and then stepped into the tub, taking the little wooden cube along with her.

After settling down, Rapunzel cupped the cube in both hands and took a deep breath, dropping into the water. Under the waters surface the dull silver started to shine and sparkle the way it had when she'd first found it in the lake. Rapunzel struggled not to grin for fear of releasing the air stored in her puffed up cheeks and inspected the cube.

A very fine line, indicating a seam, appeared in the center of the cube. Rapunzel held the top and bottom and gently pulled them apart, opening the box to reveal a small slip of water-proofed paper nestled in the bottom half of the box.

Excited, Rapunzel shouted and a rush of bubbles surrounded her head as she pushed herself up out of the water. She quickly set the two halves of the box on the edge of the tub and unrolled the tiny scroll.

"The Key is Water." Rapunzel read, her expression twisting with confusion.

That was all it said.


	18. The Brethren Court

_NOTES:_ Uneasy lies the Head that wears the Crown.

**Chapter 18: The Brethren Court**

Every Pirate Lord responded to Eret and Esmeralda's Call within a week of it being sent out. Getting all of the Captains in the same place, however, took quite a bit longer. The Archipelago winter froze over large parts of the ocean, causing delays and forcing sailors onto land for weeks at a time. By the time the cold season finally released it's fierce grip to softer freeze and all of the passages were open once again, word had come that another one of the Pirate Lords had fallen to the Prime Minister. He managed to keep his life, but had lost both of his eyes and relinquished his claim to the title 'Pirate Lord'.

With only seven out of nine Captains left, the rest were determined to continue with the agreement of the meeting. Pirates from every corner of every sea rushed to the sanctuary called Tortuga, eager to even hear of the proceedings that would make history as the Third Gathering of the Brethren Court.

It was midday when the last of the Pirate Lords finally arrived on the docks of Tortuga, and by sunset they were crowded together with their crews in a small and stuffy meeting hall. Cat and Talia stood off to the side with Eret as Esmeralda took the lead, calling the meeting to order.

"As she who issued summons', I convene this: The Third Brethren Court!" Esmeralda proclaimed, followed by lots of muttering and talking as the Lords' took their seats at the long table, their crews standing behind them. "To confirm your Lordship, and Right to be Heard, present now your pieces of eight, my fellow Captains!"

Esmeralda lifted her foot to the seat of her own chair and bent to remove the anklet she was wearing, placing it into the dish that her firstmate carried to each of the Pirate Lords as they pulled out bits and pieces from any which place. Alvin the Treacherous pulled out a dragon tooth tied with a leather thong, John Silver pulled out his own glass eye, and so on and so forth.

Talia leaned over, her lip curling in confusion. "Those aren't pieces of eight. They're just random pieces of junk." She whispered to Eret, who chuckled.

"Aye, the original plan was to use nine pieces of eight so that each Pirate Lord could prove his title, but when the Original Brethren Court met, they were, to quote one, "Skint Broke,"."

"Why not change the name, then?" Talia wanted to know.

"What? To 'Nine pieces of whatever we happened to have in our pockets at the time'? Yes, that sounds very Pirate-y." Eret snickered, sobering only a little when the dish was presented before him. He gave Talia and Cat a wink before removing the Owl Pin on his fur vest and dropping it into the dish.

The dish was presented to Court by being placed at the center of the table, and then Esmeralda addressed them once again.

"As it stands, before we may discuss the plague that threatens us, our first order of business must be to fill the titles left open by Captain Villads, and Captain Smit, may he rest in peace." She said, bowing her head respectfully as a few murmured in agreement. Others rolled their eyes.

Two more of Esmeralda's crew members brought forth two separate dishes: one held a silver ring with a skull carved into the top of it and a red ruby stuck into one of the skull's eye sockets. The other held a coin with the image of rampant lion on it.

"And who, do you suggest, take the titles?" Alvin sneered. "I see no other Captains in our midst! Are we pass out their titles to the next Captain we see?"

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but Alvin does have a point. Smit never passed on his piece, and Villads' crew refuse to sail without their Captain. Neither of them have a proper successor." Sinbad said, leaning back in his chair, though he kept one hand on the table.

"Mayhaps we present our own successors? Decide for ourselves the next generation." John Silver suggested.

"And risk you getting a second seat in this Court through whatever puppet? Do you take us for fools, Silver?" Captain James, a fairly young but decently experienced lad, spoke up.

"Well then what do you suggest?" Silver growled at him.

A gentle jingle sound caused everyone to look over at Captain Zarina, a fairy, gesturing to her First Mate, who nodded intently before addressing the Court.

"Captain Zarina says we must turn to the Code. Otherwise we forfeit our gentleman-ship as war mongers." He recounted confidently for his Captain.

"Zarina is right! We have the Code! It is not unheard of for a Lord to go to Davy Jones without passing his title. Some, as we all know, even tried to take it with them! We will find Captains fit to take the mantle." Esmeralda stated.

"If I may," Eret spoke for the first time, slowly and gently rising from his seat to address the Court as he ambled over to stand beside Esmeralda. "The Code states that a Captain who earned their title by defeating a Pirate Lord in a duel, is then first in line to take the next available title."

"Yes, and, your point be?" James questioned, but Alvin was already glaring daggers at Eret.

"There are already two such Captains standing in this room." Eret said, and everyone looked to Eret with exclamations of surprise and confusion. "Might I present Captain Talia Eagle, who bested me in a duel with my entire crew as witnesses, and Captain Cat, who defeated Alvin the Treacherous in a duel at Skullion Island."

Cat stiffened at the sudden intensity of every eye watching him. Talia's eyes widened almost comically at Eret, who was smirking widely, obviously pleased with himself. The Court had erupted into loud arguing and demands of witnesses. Alvin gave a full belly laugh before jumping into the argument fray that was quickly turning into a physical brawl.

The Court was divided in opinions of whether to believe Eret or not, and then whether they liked the idea of Cat and Talia being the next in line for the titles. They apparently showed their distaste for the other point of view, by punching the person who presented it to them. People were punching and kicking and clawing like animals. One man was thrown on the table and dragged down half the length of it.

Esmeralda shouted for order, but was ignored. Eret leaned back on his heels and watched the chaos with that same smug look on his face. Talia and Cat moved closer to him and, as she watched the proceedings with horror, Talia spoke up.

"This is madness!" She said, her eyes darting around the blustering crowd.

"This is politics." Cat told her.

Alvin was the one who finally ended the excitement by swing his axe and slamming it into the table. Everyone froze at the sound and then slunk back to their corners, leaving only the Pirate Lords, Talia, and Cat around the table. Alvin glared at the three BlueBlazer representatives.

"The Code assumes that after winning a duel against a Pirate Lord, one would then _Kill_ that Pirate Lord. By not doing so, your brats forfeited their claims to the titles!" Alvin snarled. "Hook may be worried about Silver's puppets, but you're even worse, Son of Eret!"

"Am I? Well, it seems to me that while you've all been drinking away your prosperity in sanctuaries, I managed to secure us the means by which we might actually survive Frollo's reign." Eret retorted, resting both his fists on top of the tables flat surface.

"Don't we get a say in this? You never told us anything about being Pirate Lords!" Talia hissed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Cat wasn't sure how he felt about the idea, but he knew what Eret was getting at. Cat and Talia were both highly educated, even if they never finished, and they both had magic. What's more, Cat had dragons. The Brethren Court on their own would surely die against Frollo and his army of wizards, but with Cat and Talia, they might actually stand some form of a chance. It was tactical genius on Eret's part, but it also meant exposing themselves to the rest of the Court, which Cat wasn't sure he was ready for. But, then again, with Frollo closing in on them from all angles, there wasn't much of a choice left in the matter.

"I agree with Eret. We have greater concerns than petty rivalries, Alvin." Esmeralda stepped in again. "We must take action! Let anyone who opposes Captain Talia and Captain Cat's claims to the titles and the Pirate Code, speak now or forever hold your piece!"

There were light murmurings and mutterings for a few minutes. Alvin looked entirely livid, but the others didn't seem as concerned by Eret's political move. Silver looked amused, if anything. Though Hook seemed suspicious, and Sinbad looked annoyed.

"Very well," Esmeralda said when silence finally greeted her. "Captain Talia Eagle, I welcome you to the Brethren Court as a Pirate Lord. Receive your piece of eight." Esmeralda picked up Smit's ring and held it out to Talia who hesitated, looking at the ring, but then slowly picked up the ring from Esmeralda's open palm.

"Captain Cat, I welcome you to the Brethren Court as a Pirate Lord. Receive your piece of eight." Esmeralda said again, this time holding out Villads' coin. Cat eyed it from his place beside Talia and Eret, both of whom stood between him and Esmeralda. He crossed over and picked up the coin, hearing a gentle, metallic ringing sound from it.

"Truly a tragedy that we should welcome such young and fresh faces to the Court during a time of death and battle," Silver started joyfully, still grinning ear to ear since the moment Eret made his little announcement, but then the older Captain straightened up. "What shall we do about this Ministry business?"

"We must fight." Esmeralda said before he'd even finished getting the words out of his mouth. "Frollo may have the advantage of magic, but we know the seas better than any of his people. And he won't stop. Not ever. We must take a stand."

"Suicide!" Alvin scoffed, throwing his arm up at her as many of the crews muttered in agreement, even if it was a bit reluctantly in some cases.

"As much as it pains me to agree with Alvin of all people; he's right." Sinbad leaned forward. "We don't stand a chance against an army of wizards."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Stay here in Tortuga's fortress for months until half of us starve to death?" James questioned, planting both palms on the table.

"Captain Zarina says Tortuga will never hold against the magic and weaponry of the Ministry." The fairy's First-mate said as she communicated to him when sign language.

"What say the young Lords?" Silver interjected suddenly, drawing everyone's attention to Cat and Talia again.

Cat looked at Talia, who also looked back at him, and he shrugged. "To be blunt, I've spent the past few years hiding from the Ministry of Magic and anyone even remotely connected to them. I'm not eager to go to War with Frollo. In fact, I think I'd prefer to embrace that tried and true method of Running Away, but I'm not sure if that's an option in this case."

"Really?" Talia pursed her lips, her brow furrowing. Cat just shrugged again, and Talia rolled her eyes at him before addressing everyone else. "Unlike Cat, we can't just ignore the problem and pretend it isn't there." She glanced sideways at him with a pointed look, and it was Cat's turn to roll his eyes. "If Frollo doesn't already have our location, I'm sure he'll find us soon enough. He has every resource available to him. Hiding isn't an option anymore, and we can try to run, but they're faster. Our only option is to fight!"

"And how do you propose we do that? You've already said they have resources and speed. They also have weaponry and numbers, and lets not forget that little detail known as Magic!" Alvin snapped. "You lot may not know wizards, but I certainly remember! Why do you think I chose to be a Pirate? Just one is bad enough, but we're facing an army of them!"

"We can find a way around the Ministry's advantages. It will just take careful planning and precise attacks. Not to mention the fact that we have a few tricks of our own that could very easily give us an edge against them." Talia argued, and several different crews' members began murmuring thoughtfully, considering what she'd said.

"You'd have to be an utter lunatic to believe such a thing! What tricks could we possibly have that would give us an advantage on the Ministry of Magic?" Alvin demanded, stoking the embers of doubt among the sailors.

"You know exactly what she's talking about, Alvin. You got your ass kicked by me and my Dragons back on the Isle of the Skullions." Cat quipped back at him, and everyone burst into heated, yet hushed muttering and murmuring, a few shouting out different comments whether in shock, doubt, or even excitement that the rumors were true. "Dragons are immune to any kind of magic besides their own, so they could easily help us turn the tables against Frollo."

"I guess the rumors were true after all!" Silver wheezed with laughter, slapping his knee with his palm. "Is this the 'means by which we might survive' that you were talking about earlier, Eret? It's either madness or brilliance!"

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." Cat replied as Eret chuckled. Silver roared with laughter.

"Well, let's hear the whole of your plan! If this was only the first bit, the next part must be just as fun!" Silver said, grinning widely as the Court looked to Eret expectantly. "What do you say we do?"

"I submit that, here and now, we must embrace the oldest and noblest of pirate traditions," Eret said, opening his arms to the Court and then moving one to point at the ground. "We must fight!... To run away."

"Aye!" No-Name shouted, raising his fist in his eagerness. This caused many of the others to shout "Aye!" as well because no pirate would pass up the opportunity to run away from a fight, especially one with the Law.

"As per the Code," Alvin spoke over the cheers to sneer at Eret. "An act of War, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the Pirate King. And that being said, there hasn't been a King since the First Court, and that's not likely to change."

"Why not?" Talia asked.

"The Pirate King is elected by popular vote." No-Name told her, but Alvin cut in to finish the statement.

"And each pirate only ever votes for himself." Alvin gave Eret a look of smug satisfaction, but Eret just smiled.

"I call for a vote," Eret said easily, and Alvin rolled his eyes as annoyed murmurs went up from everyone in the room.

"I vote for James Hook." James proclaimed to start off the voting.

"John Silver." Silver rose from his seat, nodding at them all.

"Captain Zarina, votes for Captain Zarina." Her firstmate said.

"Sinbad." Sinbad said with an annoyed look at Eret.

"Esmeralda of the Court of Miracles." Esmeralda shrugged also looking annoyed by the apparent waste of time.

"Alvin the Treacherous." Alvin drawled mockingly.

"Talia Eagle." Talia shrugged, unsure of what else to do.

"Cat." Cat figuring he'd play along and see what happened.

"Talia Eagle." Eret said, looking Talia dead in the face.

"What?" The girl exclaimed, and Eret smirked.

"I know. Curious, isn't it?" Eret said, and loud arguments and exclamations rose up from the gathered Pirate Lords, most of them shouting over the fact that he voted for Talia instead of them. But after a few moments, Eret managed to get a word in. "Am I to understand that you lot will not be keeping to the Code, then?" He asked and everyone fell silent, except for Alvin.

"Give me one good reason why I should follow that little twit of yours into a senseless War?" Alvin demanded.

"You mean, besides the fact that it's a much greater chance of survival for all of us?" Eret responded easily, giving Alvin a questioning look.

Before Alvin could retort, however, the room rattled and shook as though rocked by a giant earth quake. Several people fell to the floor with the power of the tremors, and Cat had to grab hold of the table to stay on his feet. He could smell canon powder and fire in the air, he heard shouting, and his tongue caught the taste of copper from the air.

"They're here!" Cat exclaimed when the shaking had finally stopped. He ran from the room, throwing open the door and rushing outside with Eret and Talia right on his heels. He allowed his magic to pulse twice, calling out to Toothless who was hiding on their ship with the other dragons.

Outside people were screaming and running all over the place. Buildings were on fire, and canon balls had already broken through a small part of Tortuga's defenses thanks to the Ministry's surprise attack. Flaming arrows and levitated explosives fell from the sky, raining down on the sanctuary as the Pirate Lords gathered on the upper deck of the tall building they'd been meeting in.

Across the plaza from where they stood, Cat spotted a pair of children running through the chaos, but one twisted their ankle and fell. The older boy stopped to help him, but a new wave of arrows was arching through the sky.

Without thinking, Cat launched himself forward over the railing. He hit the ground and lunged forward onto his hands, bounding over to the pair. He tackled the both, wrapping them in his arms as he rolled out of the way of the arrows that struck the ground a second after he'd moved.

"Are you alright?" Cat asked the two kids. They nodded, but they were covered in soot and looked terrified. "Go, quickly! Catch up with the others and get out of here." He told them, pushing them to their feet and in the direction of the fleeing civilians.

As the two kids raced away, Toothless appeared beside Cat, radiating _Relief_ and _Alertness_. _"What should we do?"_ Toothless asked.

Cat looked over at where Talia and the other Pirate Lords had come out into the plaza with him. Some were helping civilians to escape, others were calling their crews to arms, but they all stopped when Esmeralda called their attention to Talia.

"What say you, Captain Talia Eagle, King of the Brethren Court?" She asked. All of them stood frozen as they waited for Talia to respond.

Talia looked at each of them with uncertainty and then allowed her eyes to land on Eret, who gave a her a sharp nod. She looked over at Cat, who returned her gaze with Toothless looming over his shoulder. She seemed to draw confidence from their presence because after seeing Eret and Cat with Toothless, she straightened up and addressed the other Captains.

"We aren't prepared for this fight. Get all of the civilians to safety and retreat!" She ordered, receiving loud 'Aye's in response as the Pirate Lords and all their crews rushed to save the people of Tortuga.

Talia didn't join them right away, but instead looked over at Cat again. He tilted his head in question, and she nodded to him. With permission given, Cat looked around and found a tattered cloth that he snatched up and tied over the lower half of his face. He then swung up onto his saddle, and he and Toothless took off.

Instead of flying through the single, cave-like opening in Tortuga's towering walls, they flew high above and out the skylight opening at the top. Up in the sky, Cat was able to survey the Ministry forces below, taking note of their formation and where they might find possible escape routes. After a moment of committing the battle field to memory, Cat patted Toothless's shoulder and they exchanged a look before diving towards the lead ship, which was stationed at the center of the fleet.

Shouts of astonishment and fear went up as they landed on the bowsprit. Wands were pointing at them defensively along with crossbows and terrified expressions. Of all the things the Ministry expected, it most likely wasn't him, Cat assumed.

"Well, if it isn't the mysterious Dragon Boy I've been hearing so much about." Cat looked up and felt his brow pinch as he kept his eyes on Prime Minister Claude Frollo. The man was dressed in fine, purple silks and calmly descended the stairs from the quarter deck. He laced his fingers together in front of himself as he came to a stop a few yards away, his soldiers surrounding them. "What a pleasant surprise."

The way he said it made Cat believe that it wasn't a surprise at all, and that thought alone was enough to make his skin crawl. How did the Prime Minister know about him? And what did he intend to do with that knowledge?

Deciding to save those concerns for another time, Cat addressed the issue at hand. "This attack is unprovoked and unnecessary. Stop this, now, or the Brethren Court will consider this an act of War." He told them, hoping that his tone was solid and hard like he'd been aiming for.

"And why should I be concerned about that? The Pirates find themselves one little Dragon Boy and they suddenly think they can stand against me?" Claude Frollo chuckled. "No, they don't worry me in the slightest. However, you could put an end to the slaughter right now if that's what you truly want..."

"What do mean?" Cat asked, placing his left hand on Toothless's head when he felt the familiar rumble of a growl beginning.

"If you're willing to cooperate, I will end this attack immediately. All that is necessary for that to happen is for you to come quietly." Frollo said, his lips curling into a smile without any teeth.

"Why me? What do you want?" Cat questioned, trying to stay calm and still. He didn't want Frollo to know his stomach had done a flip and was turning itself into a giant knot.

"Much like the Guardians, I had my suspicions about you, Hiccup Haddock," Frollo said, and Cat's body went stiff as Toothless snarled. "While I was unable to confirm it, having only heard very little of you and your friends, I kept tabs on all four of you simply because the Guardians were interested in you. But while they began to fear what you might become, I wondered how we might benefit from it. But then you disappeared and believed to be dead. I thought that was the end of it... Until I spoke with the Dragon Hunters. They've been a great help to me many a times, but the information about a boy who rides dragons, well, that was priceless."

"How did you know it was me?" Hiccup demanded, uncaring that his voice was too loud or that his tone wobbled with a slight crack.

"To be frank; I didn't. It was only after I'd managed to find a small lock of hair, or rather, scrap of fur that had been caught in a Roman soldier's ring. Amazing what tracking spells can be done with only a tiny piece of hair. It revealed to me not only your face and identity, but your location as well. A pity hair is so fragile, it can only ever be used once in a spell." Frollo gave a slightly wistful look, as if he'd hoped for further experimentation with it. "But it's no matter; what is truly important is what you could do for the Ministry. I believe you hold the key to a great power. One that I intend to obtain for the Ministry."

"You mean for yourself." Hiccup spat.

"Don't think yourself above the Law. You can come peacefully and I will spare this sanctuary along with all the pirates in it, or I can take every last one of you by force." Frollo threatened, his expression growing dark. "The choice is yours, boy."

Hiccup held his gaze, feeling the intensity of hatred burning through his core. The Prime Minister was no better than Pitch Black or the Romans. He didn't care who he might hurt, he only wanted power.

Hiccup clenched his teeth and leaned down, bunching his muscles in sync with Toothless, and they shot into the air, leaving the Prime Minister behind as they flew back towards Tortuga to help the others.

They swooped down into the square where they had left Talia and Eret, and found them not to far away, directing people towards one of the hidden exits constructed at the back of the sanctuary. Hiccup didn't leave the saddle when they landed beside his friends and jumped right into relaying what had happened.

"So, we have no choice then." Talia muttered before looking up at Hiccup and Eret. "Cat, I need you to focus on holding them off while we get everyone out. Eret and I will organize the Pirate Lords and make sure this happens as fast as possible."

"Aye-aye, Captain." Hiccup smiled, giving her a salute and she snorted.

"Get moving!" She ordered, and Hiccup and Toothless took off once again. This time, however, Toothless roared for the other dragons, calling them out to join the fight.

Hiccup and Toothless flew about the mouth of the giant tunnel that was the entrance into Tortuga; an island surrounded by natural stone walls that created a half-made cavern. The only ways in or out was through the main tunnel, which was fortified with many wood guard walls and weaponry, or the circular skylight hole in the top of the cavern which, until Hiccup had arrived, was unreachable to people. There was also the secret exits carved into the back of the cavern, allowing for a secret escape should the need ever arise, and, unfortunately, the need did arise.

While Talia and Eret shepherded the people to the secret exits, Hiccup and Toothless focused on defending Tortuga. They blasted flaming arrows out of the sky and knocked canon balls off course and into the water. It wasn't easy, but they were also trying to keep their distance. Hiccup didn't want to risk getting too close when he knew they wouldn't have any back up.

The other dragons joined them quickly and their defense grew stronger because of the numbers. Even so, Hiccup kept glancing up at the skylight, hoping that the Ministry hadn't seen him come up from there when he'd gone out the first time. While it had given him the advantage of surprise so he could approach and land without being attacked, it was also a risk. The walls didn't reach high enough in the air for it to hinder flight on a broomstick. If the Prime Minister had flyers aboard his ship, they could easily begin raiding the sanctuary from the main entrance and above.

They were lucky in that it didn't seem the Ministry forces were trying to attack from the sky, but it also meant that the attack on the main entrance was that much more intense. One of the main defensive walls burst open with a giant explosion, flames licking away at the wood despite the dampness from the sea. The walls were beginning to crumble into the water with great splashes and, without the protection those walls provided, more and more arrows and canon balls were able to get through. Tortuga was burning, more than half of the buildings on fire, and canon fire collapsed the large tower where they had held Court.

Hiccup could hear the screams and feel the Panic flooding up from the sanctuary, but he kept his faith in Talia and Eret to handle everything on the ground so long as he could hold up his end of the bargain.

 _"Barf-Belch, light 'em up!"_ Hiccup ordered, and the Zippleback dove forward, releasing his gas across the surface of the water in front of the ships and then sparking it into an explosion. _"Stormfly, give us some cover!"_ Hiccup instructed, and the Nadder swooped down with a flick of her tail, blasting her fire straight into the water to stir up a thick fog over the entire entrance.

Hiccup closed his eyes, focusing his energy on all of his other senses to seek out their enemies and understand their movements. The cover may have hindered their sight as well as the Ministry's, but dragons didn't need their eyes to survive at all. They could move, attack and defend, just as well as when they could see, the Ministry, however, had lessened their canon fire. As Hiccup had predicted, they were likely trying to conserve their canon supply by not wasting it on blind shots.

Slipping through the fog, Hiccup reached out with his mind to direct the dragons. Drawing them into a tight formation as they slid along the surface of the water, right along the hulls of the first few ships in the Ministry's attack. The other dragons rumbled silently as they slithered up the sides of the ships, splitting off from each other to surround their targets.

Toothless latched onto the side of the ship leading the attack and slowly crawled up and over the railing, green eyes glowing in the deep fog as he glared at the soldiers standing on the deck who had yet to notice their presence. Hiccup placed his left hand on Toothless's head, steadying the Night Fury so he wouldn't attack. One soldier was looking every which way, trying to see through the fog as he held his wand in a tight grip and backed towards the railing. He was backing up straight towards them.

Toothless snorted when the man was directly below him, his hot dragon-breath washing over the man who froze in terror. The soldier slowly turned, looking up until he met Toothless's eyes, and he opened his mouth to scream, but Hiccup quickly slid to the side and reached out. He pointed directly between the man's eyes with his left hand and the man froze again, his eyes becoming unfocused.

Hiccup felt his magic curling up inside of him and used it to bewitch the soldier. The man's eyes went wide and then he collapsed to the deck with a loud thump. At the same time, Toothless allowed himself to fall backwards, swooping off into the fog as the soldiers began yelling that one of their men was down and leaving them with no clue as to what had happened.

Hiccup pressed close to Toothless's back, moving with him as they moved about, incapacitating one soldier at a time alongside the rest of their flock. Hiccup used every sleeping and paralysis spell he knew of, attempting to leave the soldiers immobile for as long as this attack would last, or at least until the others were ready to retreat. Hiccup's breathing became labored with each spell as he tried to rein in his magic and prevent himself from losing control. He had to stay in control.

The stealth attacks served them well, keeping them safe from the sheer numbers of the Ministry's forces and giving Hiccup enough time to wrangle his magic, but suddenly their well-laid attack was foiled.

Multiple powerful blasts of air cut through the sky, blowing away all of the fog and leaving the dragons out in the open without any cover. The soldiers started shouting and pointing, Hookfang roared back from his place atop one of the masts, and Stormfly squawked as they both scrambled away to get out of the range of the soldier's arrows. Meatlug and Barf-Belch rushed passed Toothless and Hiccup to get up high, and they were about to follow, but the ear-bursting boom of a canon made Hiccup's head snap up to see one of the ships further back had shot a canon ball straight at them and the ship full of mostly asleep or knocked out crew members.

Hiccup's stomach clenched, knowing they were completely defenseless, so instead of moving like Toothless motioned to do, Hiccup twisted them so he could reach out both hands and force his magic into a high concentration and catch the large canon ball with levitation. His hands were tensed and shook under the intense pressure from both restraining his own magic and from levitating such a large and heavy object that had been flying through the air at high speeds.

Slowly, Hiccup eased the canon ball back and then let it fall into the water, releasing the spell and bending over in his saddle as he gasped for breath. Toothless roared in concern, and Hiccup nodded.

 _"Get us out of here, bud,"_ Hiccup wheezed.

 _"Hang on tight!"_ Toothless replied, diving and twirling to avoid an onslaught of arrows and then giving a powerful thrust with his massive wingspan to shoot them off towards the sanctuary where the other dragons had already retreated to.

The two front ships were half full of scrambling, panicked soldiers and the other half were sleep-ridden, leaving the ships unmoving and blocking the path for the others. Toothless and Hiccup landed on the dock with the other dragons, looking out at the ships as they caught their breath, trying to prepare themselves for the next attack.

They found relief in the form of red sparks firing into the air from the other side of the sanctuary. It was a Periculum charm from Talia. They had finished the evacuation and were retreating. Hiccup heaved a sigh of relief and then nodded to Toothless.

 _"Let's go!"_ Hiccup said, addressing all of the dragons. One by one they took off towards those red sparks, leaving the Ministry behind with the emptied sanctuary. Toothless and Hiccup were the last to follow, giving one last glare at the fleet of ships gathering at Tortuga's entrance.

Finally, Toothless turned and jumped into the air, flying off after the others with Hiccup pressed tight to his back, still trying to catch his breath.


	19. Hold Me Down

**Music:** "Hold Me Down" by Halsey

_NOTES: "A restless seeker, on private business, arrived in the misery infested land. She, despite ignorance, uncertainty, and unhappiness in her own life, could not endure to see them suffering. She began to fight against the savage murderers, abusers, and defilers without quite knowing why or for who's sake she truly fought, or how the struggle would end..."_

**Chapter 19: Hold Me Down**

Winter was quickly giving way to the beginnings of Spring. Half-melted snow clumped up on the sides of walkways and squished into the earth, creating a slushie, slippery mud that clung to everything. The air had a biting chill to it, but the sun shone through the clouds to reveal pale blue sky.

Emma trudged up the path from the greenhouses back towards the castle. She'd spent some of her free period working on an assignment for her Herbology class, but now that it was finished she wanted to get to the Auror's office to continue searching the files. She was certain she could get through at least one box before her next class.

As she walked, though, Emma noticed charred mushrooms sticking out of cracks in the stone floor of the courtyard she entered. A pile of embers lay underneath the giant mushrooms, drawing her eye as she slowed her pace but kept moving forward. She made it to the archway that led into the open corridor and she could see the castle's walls on the other side, but the moment she stepped through the whole world wavered like disturbed water.

Suddenly there was nothing but dry, cracked earth beneath her feet. Forest debris, charred and decayed, floated in the air. The sky was a fiery vortex. The ground shook violently under her as that shrieking Train of destruction flew past her patch of earth and into the vortex, leaving nothing but devastation in it's wake.

"This bloody Ruin! It's corrupting all of Wonderland!" Emma exclaimed as she moved forward, her school robes replaced by a kimono-like dress of dark blue and pink, a floral pattern scattered across the skirt.

"Seeking refuge from the wicked world? Perhaps things only Look like they've gone to hell." Cat drawled as his form solidified a little ways away from her.

"You're not that good a liar, and I'm not that stupid, but something a bit less calamitous would have been welcome." Emma replied as she walked over to him.

"This unmitigated disaster is your own doing and it will get worse. Your Train keeps a hellish schedule." Cat growled low in his throat.

"What's that supposed to mean? It's not like I asked for this!" Emma wanted to argue, but Cat ignored her.

"Get moving!" He said sharply. "Time waits for no one. The Change has begun..."

"The Train is perfectly capable of terrifying me Cat. You should find another job. Is there really so little hope?" Emma asked.

"There's even less." He said. "And if Fear paralyzes you, we are lost."

He vanished and revealed the giant, glass Hookah Pipe that was behind him. Alone, Emma didn't hesitate to go over to the pipe and inspect it. She could tell immediately that it was one of Caterpillar's, but there was nothing unusual about it. Figuring the wise old thing was trying to tell her something, Emma lifted the pipe and took a deep breath of it. Her head filled with a fuzzy feeling and Caterpillar's voice echoed in her mind.

 _"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."_ He told her.

"A single step off Hogwarts' Bridge could end my journey." Emma returned as she, quite literally, surveyed the decay of her own mind.

 _"Failure is your epitaph? I'd hoped you were more courageous."_ He mocked her.

"I'm devastated. Look at what's become of my beautiful valley." She felt her eyes itch as she finally had to look away from the fire and oil that had once been lush greenery and brightly colored flowers.

 _"All things change in the fullness of time. Often not for better."_ He said in what she assumed was supposed to be a comforting way.

Knowing he was right, or at the very least that there was nothing she could do except keep moving forward, Emma started walking again. She was on a lower plateau and used floating rocks and hot air drafts to climb upwards. The destruction grew worse the farther she went. What was once one giant forest floating in the sky was now cracked and splintered islands of dirt, barely holding together as a cluster.

Traversing the landscape was treacherous at best, and then there were endless Ruins lurking about, attacking anything that moved. Small and big, some with multiple heads some with only one. There were even Slugs made of the disgusting bile that was polluting her once beautiful world.

She found satisfaction in driving her blade through their oily flesh. Feeling the slide of her knife as it cut through the thick sludge like butter. It was the one outlet she had for all of her bottled up fury. Whoever had done this to Wonderland would know her wrath. She was determined to find them and make them face punishment for their crimes.

But Cat's words lingered in her ears, planting a seedling of doubt. Was all this destruction her own fault? What had she done to create such an awful tragedy?

After leaping over a particularly large gap between a ledge and a larger piece of earth, the vortex in the sky gave a mighty crack of thunder that shook the earth and Cat reappeared a few yards from her. He was looking at the sky where the massive clock face that was once part of Hatter's domain now floated aimlessly through the air, but then turned his piercing gaze to her.

"The sight, the stink, the sinister sound. What have you imagined, Emma?" He questioned.

"I've been wondering the same thing myself." Emma admitted, moving close to him as she felt her lip tremble and her eyes swelled. What had she done?

"It's not only about you, Emma." Cat assured her, his tail brushing her arm comfortingly. "Look at the destruction around you. Consider it's cause. Then, go join Caterpillar."

He disappeared, but she knew he was leading her through the chaos. Helping her to find the right path so she wouldn't get lost. And she followed him, confident that he would lead her down the right path. She straightened her spine and lifted her chin, pushing forward along the uneven ground ahead of her.

Emma felt a rush of hope and relief when she caught sight of a small patch of greenery in the distance. Her steps quickened until she was running and leaping across stones, traveling out from the cluster into open space where one source of life still remained. The oasis was nestled on a small island a little ways out from the main piece of land with only some misplaced pieces floating through the air making it accessible to Emma.

When her feet hit the moss-covered stone she came to an abrupt halt, panting. She took a deep breath in to steady herself and enjoy the first glimpse of fresh air she'd had in hours. Feeling more solid on her feet, she walked forward, approaching a stalagmite sort of rock that was at the center of the small pool of water. She walked through the shallow water and inspected the stone, finding what looked to be the top of another pipe with smoke seeping out of it and curling upwards.

"You are familiar with the saying that smoking stunts your growth?" Caterpillar's voice echoed again, and Emma snorted.

"Adults assault children with that adage, usually while they've got a pipe stuck in their mouths." Emma said. And they call her mad, where was the logic in that?

"I won't ask you to inhale. Let the smoke envelope you." Caterpillar said as the smoke coming out of the stone began to curl around Emma. It circled her, spinning around, and as her mind felt that fuzzy feeling again, she realized she was shrinking.

Faster and faster she was getting smaller and smaller, and the smoke was getting thicker and thicker, making it impossible to see. Emma squeezed her eyes shut, feeling them itch from the exposure to all the vapors, and when she finally opened them again, she found herself in an entirely new place.

The area she found herself in resembled Eastern cultures she had read about in books and been told about by Tadashi and Gogo during quiet moments in the common room. Elegant calligraphy covered the stone mountain and floating tiles that lay before her and pristine pottery lay scattered about. The art of catfish and foreign architecture could have kept her occupied with curiosity for hours, but her mind was more focused on the slight tang of copper in what would have been the fresh air of the coastal breeze.

The area was serene and quiet, but the feeling of unease hung in the air, and Emma didn't like it one bit. She started moving forward at a brisk pace, leaping from tile to tile, across small stone islands in the water and on ledges at the mountains foot until she found the pass that would allow her to go up the mountain.

Her heart skipped a beat and then began pounding in her ears when she saw a smear of blood across the ground just before the opening to the pass. Looking out and above the path, she could see smoke rising from the trees and dread pooled into her stomach.

She raced up the path, her feet barely touching the ground as she flew towards the source of blood and fire. Bursting into a clearing, she found the square arch that marked the entrance to a town, but there was more blood smeared across one stone wall in the entrance and Emma could see the flickering light of fire beyond it.

Two corpses hung from the arch by nooses.

Emma wanted to throw up as she passed under them, trying not to look at them. If she did she might never stop crying. So she kept moving, finding every house in the small village on fire and burning down to nothing but ashes. She looked for survivors, but didn't say anything. She didn't want to be caught by surprise by whatever had done this.

She eventually found the center of the town and a giant wasp adorned in Samurai armor dropped from the sky. He hissed at her, brandishing his sword, and Emma drew her blade as he charged at her. The wasp raised his sword above his head, but Emma dodged backwards when he tried to cut through her. She jumped forward at the opening, and the Wasp raised his sword to meet hers.

The clang of metal on metal was a deafening ring in her ears. Their blades met three times before locking in a grating stalemate. The wasp used his superior strength to push her away, but Emma flipped backwards to catch herself before she fell and then swept in low, ducking under his defense.

Her blade caught him across what would have been a man's waist, and the wasp screeched, moving back to get away, but Emma chased after him. She was angry. She was furious. She wanted to blood in payment for the civilians that died in this evil attack. She let her fury rush through her veins, intent on avenging the town she had failed to protect. Her knife cut through the wasp's flesh like it was delicate butterfly wings, splattering blood across the dirt. The wasp dropped it's sword, shrieking as Emma plunged her knife into it's center, and she watched it crumple to the ground with a sick satisfaction and spots of it's blood on her face.

Two more wasps dropped down on either side of her, and Emma felt a spike in her rage and her adrenaline. Both wasps charged, raising their swords, and Emma dodged forwards this time, letting the two samurai clang their swords off of each other. She used the sound as a cue to push hers into the air, using her magic to spring herself high above the two wasps as she flipped over them and then landed in a crouch on the other side, lunging forward to cut into the two intruders.

Within moments, the wasps were nothing but headless bodies at her feet and Emma's upper lip was curled in disgust. Perhaps if they had trained under the tutelage of the peaceful monks that inhabited this mountain as she had they would have made a decent challenge for her.

She didn't need to look to know he had appeared. She could sense him sitting behind her.

"This is my fault." She said without turning to look at him. "If I had been paying better attention I could have protected them."

"We can never know what would have happened, Emma. But what will happen is another matter entirely." Cat said, his deep voice quiet and comforting. "'She who saves a single soul, saves the Universe', remember?"

Cat disappeared, and Emma sighed, her shoulders drooping. Even with his comforting words, she still felt responsible for the tragedy, and she wondered about what else could have been helped if she had been wiser.

Knowing that Cat was right and she shouldn't dwell on 'could have beens', Emma looked up at the large wooden gates on the other side of the square. They were open, revealing the large set of stairs leading up to the temple. She walked over and, to her despair, she found more bodies left carelessly on the stairs. Probably left where they had fallen in their fight.

She moved passed them and climbed the steps until she finally reached the temple where she felt a burst of joy that nearly brought her to tears. Some of the praying mantis people that inhabited the mountain, monks and civilians alike, were huddled together in the temple for safety. Some had blankets draped across their shoulders or held soup in their hands. Children stayed pressed close to their mothers, and elders moved about, trying to take care of everyone. But most importantly; they were _Alive_.

"Mama, look!" One of the children said, pointing at Emma and drawing attention to her.

"Is she the chosen one? Our savior as Cat promised?" A grown mantis asked.

"It's Emma! The magnificent, the powerful, the brave, the reckless, the rash, the crazy, the imprudent!" Another exclaimed.

"She must be here to speak with the elder!" Another whispered. "He knows things. He even thinks things!"

Emma slowly walked through the crowd to the center of the room, and the leader of the town, the oldest mantis, approached her. His white mustache swayed slightly as he moved, but his eyes were sharp and fixed on her face which still bore the blood of her battle.

"Your victories in combat and conundrums suggest your fitness to confront the challenges ahead. Mental strength will confirm your worthiness, or declare your defeat." He told her, his voice gravelly from age. "The wicked wasps have laid siege to the mountain and control the peaks to the East and West. You must find a way passed them if you wish to speak with Caterpillar."

"I suppose I must go to the mountain top, as it won't come to me." Emma sighed. "I'll handle the Wasps if you can point me in the right direction."

"At the back of this temple you will find the entrance to the sacred caves. They will ease you in your journey and take you directly to our brothers in the village at the summit. They are waging war against the enemy forces." The elder said, moving his long limb to show her the direction to the temple's greatest secret.

"Thank you," Emma said, and hurried passed the elder towards the doors at the back of the room. She put one hand on each door and gave a push, opening the double doors with no trouble and finding a smaller room with a paint on the back wall and a few stairs leading up to the painting.

Emma grinned and walked forward. She slowly took the steps one at a time, and then stepped into the painting, her body melting into ink and paints as the painting itself rippled silently like water, a bright light impairing her vision. When the light faded, Emma found herself in a dark cave, facing the white light of the exit. Looking behind her, Emma saw an identical painting to the one she had stepped into back at the temple, and she smiled. She flicked her hair and started for the exit, intent on finding Caterpillar.

The new landscape was much steeper, settled at the bottom of a ravine with the mountain stretching upwards on either side. Emma exited the cave to find herself in a new clearing, but this time it was also a battlefield.

The praying mantis people were falling to the wasps, though fighting valiantly. Swords clashed, sending sparks flying, and cries of battle echoed across the stone walls of the ravine. Several of the monks were already on the ground, being mercilessly beaten by one or two wasps. They punched and kicked the peaceful monks, the sounds of thumping fists and cracking bones was sickening. Some of the monks lay groaning on the ground, unable to fight any longer.

Emma felt something crack in the pit of her stomach and a rush of adrenaline cause a scream to erupt from her throat as she raced forward, drawing her blade with the hiss of metal that split the air.

The wasps looked up and some of them flinched while others raised their swords, but Emma was already upon the first one with a precise swing of her arm. Her knife sliced through the wasp's neck and it's head fell from it's body.

Everything slowed for a moment as the wasp's body dropped to her feet, and then all of the others came rushing at her. Emma leaped backwards and then side to avoid their attacks. One sword bit into her arm, drawing a significant amount of blood, but luckily the cut couldn't have been too deep as she still had full range of motion with it. Emma retaliated and slipping around one of her opponents swords and grabbing his wrist, yanking his arm behind his body and leaving him open so that one of the other wasps ran him through trying the get Emma.

Confused on how his sword had ended up buried in his comrade, the Wasp paused, and Emma used that opportunity to swipe at his arm, cutting it clean off. The wasp shrieked as the limb fell to the ground, but the noise stopped abruptly when Emma stabbed his stomach.

The battle continued until every last wasp had fallen, cut down by the Vorpal Blade, and Emma stood victorious at the center of the clearing. The monks that were still alive either struggled over to her on tired limbs or supported their brothers who were more gravely injured.

"The wasps have taken the mountain village. They came in such great numbers, we thought the fighting would never end." One of the older warriors said. "They brought death and pollution with them, and the earth trembles in fear!"

"I'm not sure that's fear, I think it's a Train. You all need to leave this place and find safety. Gryphon is building a resistance, you should go and find him." Emma told them, looking around at all of the exhausted and worn praying mantis. "I must speak with Caterpillar, but there's no reason for you to stay any longer and put yourselves in more danger."

"But the women and children have been taken to the gorge! They are trapped in cages, and we must set them free!" Another warrior, leaning on another for support, cried.

"Then we must move quickly. There's still time to evacuate, but you must use it wisely." Emma warned them.

"Fear not, Emma, we will see our people freed. You must go to Caterpillar." The older warrior spoke again. "Come! We will lead you to the path."

The monks turned and moved as quickly as they could with all of their injuries with Emma following close behind. They moved through the mountain village, burned and littered with the dead, and on the other side was a giant chasm that fell into darkness below and opened up to the darkening sky above. Circular wooden cages hung all about the chasm, holding women and children hostage.

"Caterpillar's retreat lies on the other side, just up the pass." The elder explained, and Emma nodded to him.

"Thank you," She said. "I'll do my best to fix everything that has happened."

With that, Emma leaped into the air, using bursts of magic to jump from cage to cage like stepping stones across a river. At each cage she used her blade to slice through the lock, opening the door for the monks that were slowly following her to help the prisoners get free. It slowed her own progress, but she hoped it would help to speed up theirs so that all of the praying mantis people could escape the mountain before the Train arrived, which, judging by the sky that had been turning a dark crimson over the past few hours, would be soon.

Eventually, Emma finally reached the other side of the chasm, and found a very steep, very long staircase before her. At the very top was a structure that looked like the top of a Hookah pipe. It was Caterpillar's Keep, and she felt a fresh wave of determination pushing her onward.

She took the stairs two or three at a time, going as fast as she possibly could. It took her a few minutes to climb all the way to the top, but once she did, she found the entrance wide open to her and a golden figure of Caterpillar placed in the center of the otherwise empty room.

"I've come all this way to find a simulacrum?" Emma demanded, sticking her hands on her hips.

"If I had the time, I'd detail how often you prefer dealing with illusions rather than with the real thing! Problems you refuse to deal with don't exist. You deny reality!" Caterpillar's voice echoed through the space, but Emma wrinkled her nose at his words.

"That's not right!" She argued. "I know what's real."

"No! And you allow other to tell you what isn't real." Caterpillar stated, which had Emma frowning deeper. "Now, come inside!" He said, and as soon as the words were spoken, the floor began to break apart right under Emma's feet. First a few cracks, and then it gave way. Emma fell for a moment, but her magic allowed her to straighten and float gracefully to the ground despite the debris collapsing all around her. She found herself in a dark, underground cavern. The real Caterpillar hung upside down from the ceiling, wrapped up in a cocoon. His eyes were closed, as if he were sleeping, but his words were as sharp as ever.

"My mind is falling to pieces! This wicked Train will drive me Mad, and Wonderland will perish completely as I lose my mind. So much has changed... I can't help Wonderland if I can't even help myself." Emma said, following a path along the wall up to a ledge that would place her right in front of Caterpillar's face.

"Much has changed, but you've got it backwards. Save Wonderland, and you may save yourself! The Carpenter was on to something, but he was hiding from the real. Your goal is to accept it." Caterpillar replied as she made her trek towards him. The tremors continued to rock the mountain peak, causing dust and rocks to fall occasionally.

"Where should I go then? What should I do?" Emma asked desperately, ducking around a rock to look up at him from the side.

"The Queen must be served, Emma. The Queen, in all her guises, must always be served." Caterpillar said as Emma stepped out onto the ledge, and then he finally opened his eyes. The tremors got stronger.

"How can she stem this growing corruption or assist my search? And what does she know that I don't?" Emma wanted to know.

"She is someone you once knew and loved. Time Changes Us All." Caterpillar answered somberly.

"Not all change is good." Emma retorted.

"Remember that when you find the Queen." Caterpillar said as a massive earthquake rocked the mountain, and then out from Caterpillar's cocoon sprouted a brightly colored wing and then another.

Emma reeled back in surprise as Caterpillar broke from his cocoon, and in a flash she was sitting in a memory in her tiny bedroom that she shared with Jack back home in their tiny apartment. A butterfly fluttered by the window as she watched on from her perch on the bed.

_"Time Changes Us All..."_


	20. Everything Has Changed

**Music:** "Everything Has Changed" by Taylor Swift (ft. Ed Sheeran)

_NOTES: "How amazing is it to find someone who wants to hear about all the things that go on inside your head?"_

**Chapter 20: Everything Has Changed**

_She remembered crying because the other kids had been teasing her. They said she was weird; Crazy. They didn't believe her when she told them about the Mad Hatter and his tea parties, or the grinning Cat that was always stealing Hatter's hat. They kept calling her a liar, or saying she was mad, so she ran away._

_She had built a blanket fort at the foot of her bed on the right side of the room. Her side. There was a bottle of fireflies she was feeding and taking care of, their glow illuminating the space inside the little fort, and her blankets and pillows made the hardwood floor more comfortable. That was where she hid away from the world, feeling secure in the small and familiar space._

_It was late at night now. She'd had the room all to herself because big brother was sleeping in the living-room with his friend from school. Her sniffing sounded loud in the quiet of the room, and her hands felt damp and sticky from wiping at her tears._

_She remembered him gently pulling back the blanket to peek in at her, looking hesitant and concerned all at once. She remembered looking up and feeling too tired to care that he'd found her crying. He and big brother had been sleeping in the living-room the past few nights, and she realized he must be a lighter sleeper than big brother._

_"Are you okay?" He whispered, tilting his head. "Why are you crying?"_

_She didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what to say, and she wasn't used to anyone but mother and big brother caring all that much. And, she had to admit, she was a bit distracted by how his bright green eyes glowed in the dim lighting of the fort._

_"I know we haven't had much time to get to know each other." He said thoughtfully. "Would you mind if I joined you?" He motioned with his head to the spot next to her, and she hesitated a few moments before giving a tiny nod._

_He scooted in beside her, settling in a comfortable seated position that would've left big brother bending his neck awkwardly to avoid sticking his head into the blanket-roof. She smiled, in spite of herself, and he smiled back at her._

_"Did you have a nightmare?" He asked, and that gave her pause. Were they nightmares? There were parts that were scary, but... She somehow enjoyed those parts too. Like all the fun made up for her feeling scared._

_"It's not a nightmare," She murmured, looking up at him. "It's a dream. I'm falling down a dark hole, and when I arrive, I see all these wondrous things..." She trailed off, not entirely sure she wanted to go on. She didn't want her brother's friend thinking she was weird, too._

_"What kinds of things?" He wanted to know, and she could see genuine interest in his eyes, so it eased her nerves._

_"Well," She began, fiddling with a piece of string in her lap. "There's a rabbit in a waist-coat. He's always in a hurry, and then... There's the door mouse with a pin that he uses like a sword. There are singing flowers, and a blue caterpillar! And then there's the Hatter and his tea parties!"_

_"It sounds incredible," He said, and she nodded vigorously._

_"It is! There are forests of giant mushrooms, and all sorts of creature-people that swim in the seas or wander the mountains!" She told him. "And then there's a grinning cat! He's always stealing Hatter's hat!"_

_"I didn't know cats could grin." He replied, one corner of his mouth stretching into half of a familiar curl that made Emma freeze. He couldn't be... But maybe?_

_"Neither did I," She whispered. "...Do you think I've gone round the bend?"_

_"Hmm," He hummed thoughtfully, looking at her, and then he leaned forward and placed his hand on her forehead to take her temperature. After a moment, he pulled back, nodding solemnly. "I'm afraid so." He said. "You're Mad. Bonkers. Off Your Head."_

_Her heart sank. She couldn't look away from him, but she felt like her heart was being ripped to pieces._

_"But I'll tell you a secret," He gave her a full grin, and she felt a rush of joy. It_ was _him!_

_"All the Best People Are."_

* * *

"Professor!" Emma shouted, racing down the corridor as fast as she could. Her footsteps echoing off of the stone walls as she ran towards North's office. "Professor!" She shouted again, smiling when she saw North and the other Guardians exiting his office. She faltered slightly when she spotted the Prime Minister walking beside North, but quickly shook her head and pushed on.

This was too important to let some old politician scare her.

It looked as though North and the Prime Minister were arguing about something, but they stopped when she hurried over to them. The Prime Minister glared down his nose at her and North seemed frustrated. The other Guardians had mixed expressions that were harder to read, but that was also because Emma didn't waste the time trying.

"Professor, I think I've found something really important!" Emma said, but she was cut off by the Prime Minister.

"What is this girl doing here? Don't you teach these students any etiquette?" He snapped, blatantly ignoring Emma. As if she wasn't there at all.

"If you're worried about the students' manners, you'll need to take that up with Lady Tremaine. You did put her in charge of all Etiquette classes here at the school." North retorted before turning to Emma with a stern look and a crisp cut with his hand. "Now is not a good time, Miss Frost."

"But Professor, I -!" Emma tried again.

" _Not Now_ , Miss Frost." North said, but it sounded like an order. It wasn't a tone she'd ever heard North use before. He turned to the Prime Minister and motioned for the older man to go first. Claude Frollo started down the corridor again and North was close behind.

Sandman stepped up beside Emma and patted her arm with an apologetic expression and then hurried after the two. Toothiana paused beside her for a moment and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Emma, but we have some very important things to handle right now. Try going to one of the Prefects if it's urgent." She said before fluttering away. Bunnymund stalked after them at the back of the group, his annoyance clear on his face.

"Professor," Emma reached out with a step forward, trying one last time. Bunnymund looked back at her, gave a heavy sigh, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, tyke. Another time." He said, but the promise was weak and they both knew it.

Emma stood alone in the corridor as she watched all of the Guardians and the Prime Minister leave. She felt sad over how she'd been ignored and dismissed, but that sadness soon gave way to frustration and anger.

"Arghh!" She screamed at the ceiling, and then she stomped her way out of the corridor, heading back the way she had come.

She slammed her way through the door of the Auror's Office, making it bang off of the wall so hard that it swung back and slammed closed. She yanked her book bag strap over her head and threw her bag onto the desk, slapping her palms onto the top of the flat surface as she tried to reign in the righteous fury and indignance she felt while ignoring the fuzzy images of scorched mushrooms and boiling oil in the corners of her eyes.

Her face felt hot, and she sniffed involuntarily as a tiny drop dripped off the tip of her nose. She swiped at her nose roughly. She'd worked so hard for so long, to be brushed aside like that had hurt her pride in a way she hadn't thought possible until it happened.

She'd been contemplating all of the random Pitch's random attacks on different villages and towns, trying to find a link for all of them. But then she'd started thinking about the theoretical hole in Hogwarts' defenses against Pitch's fear magic. If the hole was real, which she was inclined to believe that it was because of the state of Wonderland and how her mind was deteriorating because of it, then why hadn't Pitch used it?

A hole in the defense of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The safe place of an entire generation of young wizards, and the headquarters of the Guardians. And on top of all that, no one seemed to know there was the possibility of a hole. Meaning that Pitch not only had the ability to easily make that hole bigger and get inside, but he could also do it as a surprise attack that would leave everyone inside virtually defenseless. So why not use it? Why not attack the school already and take out one of the greatest strongholds of his enemies? Taking Hogwarts would not only start a War, but shift all of the odds to his favor.

By all means, it was a brilliant strategy. So why on earth wasn't he taking advantage of it?

It was this train of thought that had Emma go digging into historical records of the Old War, trying to find any similarities between then and what was happening currently. She eventually realized that one of the greatest factors that prevented Pitch from taking Hogwarts the last time was the positioning of the school geographically. Being in Scotland, Hogwarts automatically had allies and reinforcements from the Scottish clansmen, and then Durmstrang, though further away, was able to provide assistance coming from the sea on their ships by using some extremely advanced and impressive transportation magic that North managed to develop in the midst of the attack. Hogwarts was simply too deep within allied territory. They had comrades all around them to defend the castle.

That's why the ideal time to attack would be when the castle was nearly empty. Only the youngest students and the teachers who weren't as strong as the Guardians. A time when all of the most powerful and able-bodied people who lived in Hogwarts castle wouldn't be there, but there would still be enough people for Pitch to convert into his fearlings and add to his army.

But there was never a time like that. If anything, only the older students would stay in the castle during breaks, so there was never a time when the weakest of the school would be left there alone. Except, Emma realized, for one opportune moment.

The Final Challenge of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

All of the schools, with their top Professors and all of the upper classmen, would travel to the Moor, leaving Hogwarts castle at it's absolute weakest.

That was when it all clicked into place. The reason she couldn't figure out the pattern in Pitch's attacks was because there was no pattern. There was no purpose to them except to keep the Guardians busy enough so that they wouldn't notice the weakened defense of the castle. Then when they all left for the Moor, Pitch would use that hole to take the castle and place his forces right in the middle of the allied kingdoms.

Emma had been so distracted by the corruption of Wonderland and her mind spiraling into madness, she'd practically ignored basic strategy. She was lucky that her searching had put it right in front of her face for her, but it left her uneasy knowing that she'd gotten the information based on luck, and now it seemed like the information wasn't even going to matter because the Guardians wouldn't listen long enough to hear it, let alone do anything about it.

Emma let her arms fold so that her elbows dug into the desk and brought her hands up to cover her face. What was she supposed to do now?

She didn't know how long she stayed like that, but eventually she heard the door open behind her. It was lunch time, so it was odd that someone besides her would be there, but she didn't care enough to move. It was probably just one of the Auror's who would ignore her anyways.

"Something wrong?" The voice was smooth and slightly accented, which surprised Emma enough to look up and over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't imagining it.

Antonio Perez. He was a Slytherin, the same year as her, and Emma had heard many of her classmates giggling over how "hot" he was. From what Emma knew, Antonio and Margo Gru had some sort of exclusivity with each other that had started earlier that year, but she couldn't be sure as she didn't really keep up with those things.

"Why such a sad face?" Antonio asked with a soft half-smile, one eyebrow raised just a little, and his eyes just ever so slightly pinched. "A girl as pretty as you shouldn't look so sad."

"Go away," Emma told him, rolling her eyes and turning back towards the desk to pick up her bag.

"Whoa! I was just trying to help," Antonio said, his expression turning to something a little more normal and serious as he looked at her. Emma looked back at him, watched his face for a moment, and then huffed a heavy sigh.

"If you must know; I think I've uncovered something pretty important, but no one will listen to me. They all just want me to stay put in Lady Tremaine's etiquette classes." Emma informed in a mutter him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What? Why would they want that?" Antonio scoffed with a chuckle, and Emma shrugged.

"Beats me. I guess people just don't see any potential in me, so they ignore me. That's the best guess I've got, anyways." She looked down at her feet, feeling tired and defeated.

"Well, that isn't very fair." Antonio kept talking. "If only there was some way I could help... Hey! What if you tell me about whatever it is, and I'll bring it to the Auror I'm studying under. I'll tell him everything, he'll bring it to the Guardians, and best part is, I'll make sure that he knows it all came from you." He offered, grinning at his own idea. Emma looked at him, surprised that he would do that for her.

"Do you really think it'll work?" She asked him, eager to hold on to the hope that they could still prepare for Pitch's possible attack on Hogwarts, and, if she was being honest with herself, to get someone to finally listen to her.

"Why shouldn't it? Come on, show me what you've been working on! It must be good with all of the hours you spend here." Antonio said, motioning to her bag full of notes.

Emma smiled and turned back to the desk, opening her bag. In her desperation to get the information into the right hands, Emma shared everything she could with Antonio, though she made sure not to mention her trips to Wonderland or Cat's involvement. No, she made sure to cover all of her sources as not all of them would be seen in the best light by the Aurors or even the Guardians, but she did tell him what she had uncovered and the basic trains of thought that led her to each discovery. It was made easier by the fact that she'd practiced doing exactly that in order to tell the Guardians about her discoveries.

Even still, sharing weeks worth of work within a couple of hours wasn't entirely possible, and if Antonio was going to convince the his Auror mentor of the importance of this information, he was going to need to know as much as possible. So that lead to Emma and Antonio meeting together for the next three days, spending hours at a time locked away in the Auror's Office or tucked in the back of one of the study halls with their heads bent close together.

By the end of their third meeting, Emma was feeling confident that she'd showed Antonio everything relevant, but not criminalizing, and she was happy to entrust the rest to him, which he assured would happen on Monday when everyone was back from the weekend. Emma didn't find this ideal as it was only Friday, but she supposed it was better than nothing.

For the first time in a long time she felt like a giddy little kid. Finally her work was going to bear some fruit! And she might even get some recognition for it too!

Emma skipped along the open-air corridor beside one of the smaller gardens that she visited frequently. It was on the edge of the castle's walls and not many people went there so it was very quiet and peaceful.

It was late, everyone had already gone to bed after dinner, and the moon was full and bright. She drank in the cool, fresh air with a smile on her face, reaching up to her tiptoes as she pushed on the railing with both hands to lift her head higher.

A shout and a thump made her jump and her eyes darted around the garden, trying to find the source. Moving around the railing to the archway that led out into the garden, Emma peered into the night, her eyes squinting. She walked down the path until she came to a little square surrounded by tall hedges. She could hear whispered voices, but she couldn't see through the foliage.

"Who's there?" She called out, sliding her wand out of her robes as her. "Show yourself!"

There was a yelp at her voice and then silence, so Emma slowly came to the edge of the bushes and peered around with her wand arm raised. What she saw had her arm dropping limp at her side as her mouth quirked up on one side.

She was both confused and curious as she stepped into the light of the garden square to find Toby standing with his back rod-straight as his fingers fidgeted in front of him, casting worried and guilty glances everywhere but at Emma to avoid eye-contact. Behind him was a very, Very, VERY big troll with green hair that ran all the way down his back, and he was balanced on one leg like a dancer with one arm in front of him and one arm behind him in what Emma had to assume was an attempt to blend in with the fountain statue that stood at the back of the square against a stone wall, depicting a dancing couple. Another troll, this one smaller, had tried to hide behind a tree, but the trunk of the tree was too thin for his wide-set body and four arms. A third troll, who was bigger than the second but still smaller than the first and had one arm made of metal, had dropped to the ground beside a rock and was holding a tiny daisy on his head.

"Who are your friends, Toby?" Emma asked, unable to keep the amusement out of her tone, and they all tensed up even more somehow. Toby's sweat started to bead down his face.

"Well, Ahem, uh... The thing is... What? Trolls? HAHAHA! NO! Those are just statues! Come on! Why don't we just go inside and -!" Toby started rambling and walking towards her, stretching out his arm to direct her back towards the castle, but Emma ducked under his arm and calmly walked over to the largest troll.

"Hello there," She said, arms tucked behind her back as the giant beast finally broke character and looked back at her. "My name is Emma Frost. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She held out her hand and the troll turned to face her fully with a smile.

"I'm AAARRRGGHH! With three R's." The massive troll rumbled, closing his fist and very carefully tapping his knuckles to hers in a fist bump. Emma beamed.

"What are you doing here at Hogwarts?" Emma asked. In the magical world there were several types of trolls, like the Mage Trolls who lived in the forests of Arendale, or the Gumm-Gumms that were banished to another realm. Earth Trolls were of the same breed as Gumm-Gumms, and so many people feared and, or hated them which caused them to withdraw into their underground homes and resolve to never interact with humans. Emma couldn't imagine why three of them would randomly show up at Hogwarts.

"Dance Lessons!" AAARRRGGHH! grinned and Emma tilted her head at that, but the movement caused her eye to catch a blue light coming from the shadows behind AAARRRGGHH!.

Emma moved around the giant troll, ignoring Toby's protests, and looked behind the large tree that stood there. She came face to face with big blue eyes that glowed so bright in the shadows. Instead of tusks that jutted up from his bottom lip, he had fangs that poked down from the top. He was much slimmer with long limbs; lanky, but not awkward. In fact, Emma could see confidence in his semi-crouched position that made her believe he was actually quite graceful. Instead of stone, he had flesh and blood and fur. Lots of blue fur with some fluffy black fur on top of his head and pointed ears that had little black tufts on the ends. His tail was very long and tipped with a blue flame that flickered with life.

" _Jim?_ " Emma murmured, watching as the boy-troll stared at her with wide, uncertain eyes. She took a deep breath and then started in on him, "Well, that explains why the Gillyweed didn't last as long as it should have! You could've drowned! I would've made proper portion adjustments if I'd known!"

"I, uh..." Jim stumbled, looking startled and confused. He cleared his throat. "You're not scared?"

"Why would I be scared?" Emma asked.

"Cause... Well... I'm, _you know_ ," He gestured to himself and then over to the three trolls who had gathered by Toby now.

"Because you're a troll?" Emma finished for him, speaking slowly. "Why should I be? We're friends, and you've never done anything to hurt me. I trust you, so... I don't know, I'm not afraid of you."

Jim ears perked upwards at that as he stared at her with an unreadable expression, his tail sweeping away from it's tightly curled position around his feet subconsciously. Emma smiled at him, feeling something strange warming her chest as the silence continued to stretch between them. She assumed the feeling was probably caused by the singing flowers blooming in the tall hedges all around them that no one else was aware of.

The spell was broken when the smallest troll awkwardly cleared his throat. Loudly.

"My humblest apologies for interrupting, but... Uh... Master Jim?" The four armed troll gave a pointed look in her direction and Jim started.

"Oh! Right! Sorry, Blinky!" Jim straightened up, and Emma reeled back a little as she had to bend her head back to look up at Jim once he reached his full height. In this form he was easily head-and-shoulders taller than her, his feet elongated like a werewolf's, but he didn't struggle with a hunched back. He only bent down when he noticed her staring up at him in awe, ducking his head shyly. "Ah, well, Emma, these are my friends! You met AAARRRGGHH! And that's Blinky," Jim said pointing to the smallest troll who was still as tall as Jim was now. "And that's Draal." He pointed to the last troll with the metal arm, who waved stiffly but with a friendly grin. "They're just here trying to help me," Jim trailed off, scratching the back of his neck as his eyes drifted off to the side.

"Not to be rude, but I'm still confused: how can you look like this when just earlier today I saw you as a human? Do you use a spell to hide it? And why are you hiding it? I know Earth Trolls and humans don't get along too well, but surely it wouldn't be that bad at Durmstrang with a bunch of viking and warrior-type wizards." Emma looked at him, trying to piece everything together, but it just wasn't making too much sense. "I know you must be at least half human sense trolls don't have magic, in the traditional ways, at least."

"Quite right, my young, female friend! You are very perceptive. You must be the 'Wise Raven' Tobias and Master Jim informed us about!" Blinky beamed at her, and Emma felt her cheeks getting a little warm at the praise.

"It sounds like they may have made me sound better than I am." Emma tried to wave him off, but Jim cut in as soon as the words left her mouth.

"Not even close," He said confidently, smiling down at her as her cheeks got hotter.

"Yeah, Blinky! This gal is really smart! She likes books as much as your do!" Toby exclaimed.

"In any case, the situation regarding Jim's true identity is quite complicated, but absolutely necessary! It could be a matter of life or death." Blinky stated seriously. "Jim is what is known as a Kittroll, an extremely powerful kind of troll. The only troll capable of being born with traditional magic as humans are. Until we discovered Jim, we had believed they'd been hunted into extinction."

"See, my mom is fully human. But my dad..." Jim explained vaguely, letting Emma finish it for herself. "My grandpa discovered a way to shape-shift into a human form and it helped him stay hidden when all the Kittrolls were being killed. It got passed down the line, and now I can do it even easier and for longer because I'm half human, so the form is partially natural to me."

"Why were the Kittrolls hunted in the first place?" Emma wanted to know.

"Namely, for their healing abilities. Kittrolls excelled in the healing arts and they were heavily exploited during the war with the Gumm-Gumms on both sides. When the war was over and Gunmar banished, poachers continued hunting them and selling the on the black markets." Blinky explained.

"That's horrid! Why didn't they just refuse to heal them? They couldn't force you to heal anyone, could they?" She looked up at Jim, who's ears drooped down as he looked at the grass.

"Kittrolls try not to. Gumm-Gumms find other way." AAARRRGGHH! rumbled sadly.

"Kittrolls are classified as Magical Creatures, meaning their magic flows through them as much as their very blood does. The Gumm-Gumms would ingest the Kittrolls magic by biting into their soft flesh and drinking their blood. The effects were even faster than when a Kittroll purposefully heals someone, but because the drinker is taking the magic that would have healed the wound they inflicted, they leave the Kittroll in a weakened state." Blinky told her, looking despaired by the facts of history.

"Jim..." She whispered, looking up at him, and he gave her a weak smile.

"My dad died when I was really young to protect me from all that. I've only been bitten once, and it was my choice." He informed her, and a wave of thankfulness and relief rushed through her. "Besides, the only people that know what I really am are all standing here. To everyone else in the world, I'm just your average, small-town human kid."

"But wait, if everyone thinks you're human, how did you meet Blinky, AAARRRGGHH! and Draal?" Emma asked him.

"Uhh, well, you see," Jim reached into a pocket on the pair of baggy pants he was wearing and pulled out an amulet that glowed blue. "My ancestors have a sense of humor, I guess? Long story, but basically the Amulet of Daylight chose me to be the Trollhunter; the protector of Trollmarket and defender against the Gumm-Gumms. These guys have become my teachers and friends. But, like I said, everyone else still thinks I'm human."

"You must understand that keeping the Trollhunters secret is of the utmost importance." Draal's gravelly voice cut through the conversation as he leveled Emma with a firm look. She nodded and turned to Jim.

"I'll do everything I can to protect you and your secret." She promised, placing her right fist over her heart, and Jim chuckled in surprise, but then offered her a toothy-smile in thanks.

"Hey, this is pretty cool, right? Emma knows now! And she can use her big brain to help us out more!" Toby grinned, walking forward with arms spread wide.

"AAARRRGGHH! said something about dance lessons earlier...?" Emma inquired lightly, looking between the two boys with her mouth pulling up on one side again.

"Oh, uhhh..." Jim looked away, scratching the back of his head, and Toby leaned in, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Jim wants to ask Claire Nunez to the Ball, but he can't dance to save his life." He explained to her, receiving an annoyed look from his friend as Emma let out a laugh.

"Claire Nunez? The Beauxbatons girl with a mile long pedigree of high-society, pure-blood family? That Claire?" Emma looked sideways at Jim who blushed and nodded, scratching the back of his head again.

"That's the one! We grew up in the same town. Jim's had a crush on her for forever!" Toby supplied.

"Do any of you know how to dance?" Emma glanced at the two boys and the three trolls.

"Not really. Blinky was showing us what he learned through his books." Toby answered with a shrug, and Emma laughed harder this time.

"Dancing isn't something you learn from a book," Emma shook her head and then picked up Jim's hand, pulling him out to the center of the grassy square. "Just start with the basics; it's about having fun." She told him, rocking side to side and bobbing her head.

Jim looked nervous, but slowly started following her movements, and eventually smiling as he got more into it. Emma picked up his other hand and guided him through some simple things; like twirling under his arm, or matching their steps together.

At some point Emma became aware of music playing softly in the background and the others dancing around a little too, but her main focus was kept on Jim as he started getting the hang of the steps. Eventually she let him start leading the dance and they skipped and spun around the garden square for hours.

She was right to guess that Jim was graceful in his troll form, despite being even taller and lankier. It was clear to her pretty early on that he preferred his Kittroll form, and she felt humbled that he trusted her enough to be so relaxed around her, even if her discovering his secret was by accident.

They spent hours dancing together. Eventually they did switch to more typical waltz and other ball dances, but the most fun was when they just moved together. They danced through the night, and only when the stars started to dim did they realize dawn was coming. The trolls retreated to the Forbidden forest where they assured her was a tunnel that would take them home to Trollmarket, and Jim used his magic to transform back into a human before the three students made their way back into the castle.

They parted ways on the main staircase, them going to one side and her the other, and as Emma climbed towards Ravenclaw tower, she couldn't help the cheek-aching smile that took over her face. She stopped abruptly, though, and turned around to find Cat sitting in the middle of the empty corridor with his tail flicking back and forth.

"Where have you been? You've been awfully quiet." Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest as she faced the feline who was not grinning.

"I have other business that I must attend to, girl. I can't always be here to hold your hand." Cat retorted. "And you've been careless in my absence."

"Careless? How have I been Careless?" Emma demanded, uncrossing her arms. "I've finally made some sort of progress! Antonio is going to bring my research to the Aurors so that it will actually get reviewed!"

"Doors have locks. Locks need keys, which you don't have. Let's hope the doors are open." Cat growled in a less-than-hopeful tone.

"And if not, there may be more than one way to skin a cat, if you'll pardon the expression." Emma replied, lifting her chin.

"A most unpleasant metaphor. Please avoid it in the future." Cat hunched, curling his lip back at the imagery.

"I just don't understand why you're so upset about it. Even if I don't get credited for some reason, the holes in Hogwarts' security will be addressed, which is what we want to happen. Then we'll be stopping the corruption from it's source instead of chasing after that damn Train!" Emma argued.

"In times such as these you should trust no one." Cat pointed out, but a noise down the corridor alerted them to a coming teacher or prefect on patrol. Cat looked over his shoulder and then back at her. "They say a cat has nine lives. I hope you have as many."

And then he vanished. Emma hesitated for a moment, looking at the spot where he'd been, but then shook her head and hurried toward the Ravenclaw tower. She wasn't sure what put Cat in such a bad mood, but she figured he'd be back to his grinning-self soon enough. Until then she would triple check her notes to cover whatever it was Cat thought she was being careless about.

For now she'd just go to sleep and dream of dancing in the garden with singing flowers.


	21. Rush

**Music:** "Rush" by Aly and AJ

 _NOTES:_ "Three Things cannot be long hidden: The Sun, The Moon, and The Truth."

**Chapter 21: Rush**

Rapunzel hugged her books to her chest, her book bag hanging heavily on her shoulder as it was laden with even more books. She'd only just gotten out of her lesson with Dr. Sweet nearly fifteen minutes late, but Merida was still patiently waiting for her just outside of the infirmary.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long, Merida." Rapunzel said, trying to sort herself after hurrying out of class. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"What? Oh. Don't worry about it, Punzie." Merida started at Rapunzel's greeting and then smiled. "Let's go walk outside. I feel like I've been cooped up all week."

Rapunzel followed her red-headed friend out of the castle, talking lightly about how their classes were going as well as their training. Rapunzel asked Merida about what she and Jack knew from the Guardian meetings, and Merida questioned her about how she was fairing with the most recent clue for the tournament.

"I've figured out what the clue is, but I have no idea what it means." Rapunzel confided to her. "It said _"The Key is Water"_ , so I've been practicing a couple of water spells, but it's hard to know what technique to practice when I don't know it's purpose."

"That's true, but I'm sure by 'a couple' you mean that half of those books weighing you down are filled with hundreds of different spells having to do with water." Merida gave her a pointed look, and Rapunzel ducked her head slightly as her cheeks warmed a little bit.

"Actually, only two of them are for water spells. The rest are all for my healing lessons." Rapunzel told her with an honest shrug. They looked at each other and then both burst out giggling. "So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Rapunzel wanted to know as they both reigned in their chuckles.

"I don't know," Merida sighed, looking out at the courtyard where a couple of third-years were tossing around a spark-ball, laughing as they played. "I've been Dreaming, but half of it is only memories of us as kids. I think they're about you, but I don't know what they mean."

"What have you been Seeing, exactly?" Rapunzel inquired, her heart squeezing tight as her chest felt hollow. She wasn't sure how to feel about Dreams.

"Mostly memories. Like that time during second year when we sneaked out after curfew and were dancing in the kitchen," Merida gave a small, distant smile as her eyes glazed over a bit, no doubt seeing the memory in her minds eye. Rapunzel smiled, her heart giving a painful tug at the happy memory. "Or during third year when we first learned to read tea leaves from Professor Robinson. Remember? I Saw an acorn, which meant 'unexpected gold'. Or even last year! When you whipped Flynn in that duel."

"Well, none of those things seem too bad. They're all happy memories." Rapunzel noted hopefully, peering at her friends face to see if they shared the same enthusiasm.

"Yes," Merida agreed slowly, but Rapunzel could see there was something else on her mind.

"What is it?" She asked, hugging her books tighter to her chest at Merida's hesitance. The red-head sighed heavily, her face twisting into an expression burdened with guilt and uncertainty.

"During our fourth year, maybe it even started during third year but I can't be sure, I was having similar Dreams. I thought they were just memories and that they didn't mean anything." Merida swallowed thickly, taking a breath to steady herself. "The memories weren't necessarily good ones, and... They were about Hiccup." She admitted.

They both stopped walking and simply stared at each other. Merida looked distraught, and Rapunzel felt a familiar ache in her chest but at the same time there was also numbness as all of the air left her lungs on a shaky exhale.

"I remember _Seeing_ when he got angry at Darren Fouls for dropping that bucket of goo on you, and our fight with Gothel when he stood between us and her. I remembered his first duel, the way he just seemed to freeze up..." Merida trailed off shaking her head as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I didn't pay attention, didn't think about what Lady Fate might have been trying to tell me, and I know that the memories are happier ones this time, so maybe that means something and things will be different, but I couldn't stop thinking about how maybe, if I had realize it earlier, or paid better attention, then maybe... I just can't help but wonder..."

Rapunzel dropped her books and grabbed Merida into a tight hug, feeling her own eyes swell up to overflowing as Merida trembled and sniffled into her shoulder.

"It is not your fault, Merida." Rapunzel said as firmly as she could, managing pretty well to keep the shakiness out of her voice, but it was still thick with emotion. She moved back and held her red-headed friend at arms length so she could look her in the eye. "You're a Seer, yes, but that doesn't make you responsible for protecting everyone from everything. It's not possible. I know it hurts, and I miss him too, but he wouldn't want you to blame yourself over something you didn't even know."

"I know that," Merida nodded in agreement, her cheeks a little splotchy from crying. "But I couldn't bare to make the same mistake again. I'm older and wiser, so even if this situation is a little different than last time, I needed to tell you. And if you're up for it, I'd like to do a Tea Leaf reading if you can ever find a spare moment." Merida gave her a determined look that had her looking much more like herself again, and Rapunzel smiled back.

"We can meet tonight after dinner." Rapunzel told her.

* * *

Eugene reached towards the teapot curiously, but Merida slapped his hand without even looking up from her Divination book. Eugene yelped and snatched his hand back to his chest, pouting at Merida as he rubbed the small red spot that was forming. Jack laughed, and Rapunzel chuckled too, but she quickly turned into a sympathetic pout when Eugene's eyes snapped over to her.

"Keep your hands to yourself until we're done, Fitzherbert." Merida said blandly, not taking any silliness when it came to her craft.

"What does it matter? Rapunzel's almost done with her tea anyways!" Eugene griped, and Merida responded with a glare that had Eugene pausing for a moment before amending his statement. "On second thought I totally respect your space and particularity in Divination as you are the resident expert among the dueling club. Have you done something different with your hair because it looks great!" Eugene chuckled nervously.

Merida rolled her eyes and went back to her notes.

"So, why exactly are we digging into this? If all the memories you've been Seeing are good ones, than that should be a good omen, right?" Jack changed the subject, peering over Merida's shoulder.

"Should be." Merida agreed, but there was a tenseness to her shoulders. "I just want to be careful. Every time I've ignored my Sight something bad has happened."

"Whatever you want to do, Merida. I trust your judgement." Rapunzel assured her, sharing a knowing look with her friend that the two boys either didn't catch or didn't pay much attention to. Rapunzel lifted her tea cup in a 'cheers' motion and drank the last bit of the tea. "All done." She said, setting the cup back onto it's saucer.

Merida reached over and took the delicate dishes, placing them in front of herself so she could peer into the cup. She moved her hands in the air a bit, and then turned to consult her notes over whatever she was Seeing in the cup.

"There's an acorn." She said after a long moment of silence, surprising Rapunzel and the two boys. "It's a sign for 'Unexpected Gold'."

"Well, that sounds promising." Jack gave a half-smile as he leaned on his staff.

"Maybe." Merida hummed, but continued looking into the cup and back to her notes. "There's a Club, which means An Attack... And a skull, which means there's Danger in your Path."

"Well, of course there's danger! Who knows what they'll throw at you next in this tournament." Flynn reasoned, but Rapunzel wasn't sure. It seemed those readings could either be neutral, or very bad.

"Mmm," Merida's brow furrowed as she stared down at the cup, displeased by whatever she was Seeing.

"What is it?" Jack asked as all three of them leaned forward slightly, waiting for her to finish the Reading.

"The last one is a Falcon," Merida said, looking up to lock gazes with Rapunzel. "It means you have a Deadly Enemy."

* * *

Despite wanting to stay positive and focus on things she could actually control, Rapunzel couldn't help feeling a little tense going into the third challenge. Merida's tea leaf reading had given her cause enough to feel the need for caution, but she supposed she'd thrown caution to the wind back when she decided to put her name in that goblet.

She wasn't given the time to dwell on it for long, though. The next day's afternoon came quickly, and Rapunzel found herself standing at the entrance to the dungeons with Elsa and Jim. Students and teachers from all three schools crowded the wide corridor, the din of the excitement sounding loud as it echoed off the stone walls and floor. Professor North, Professor Hera, and Professor Varvatos Vex were waiting for the audience to gather in the seating that had been set up some time before hand, and the Champions were instructed to use this time for warming up.

Rapunzel half-heartedly leaned into stretches as her eyes scanned the crowds and swept over her two fellow competitors. She wasn't sure what to expect with this next challenge, but at least she had the comfort of knowing that her opponents were in the same place. It also helped that there was an underlying friendliness between the three of them. With Elsa it hadn't been surprising, they were cousins after all, but Rapunzel was glad the same desire for peace and kindness resided in Jim. The boy was young, but Rapunzel was quite impressed with his character.

Varvatos Vex called, more like yelled, for the crowd to quiet down as the three teachers moved forward, announcing the start of the challenge drawing near. Rapunzel lined up with Elsa and Jim as North raised his arms to begin his speech.

"Welcome to the third Challenge!" North began and excited cheering roared up to greet him. "Now, now! This Challenge, as you may have gathered, will be taking place in the Dungeons! One room has been sectioned off for the purpose of this Task. Each Champion must find the clue with their name on it and return to the platform at the center of the room in order to be transported back here. As is tradition, they will have one hour to complete the Task."

"Is that all? Sounds simple enough." Elsa murmured, sharing a smile with Rapunzel.

"However, the room has been filled with protective measures that the Champions will have to overcome in order to retrieve their clues." North continued ominously.

"Of course it is," Jim huffed, glaring at the teachers who paid them no mind and focused on the crowds of students.

"Now, if the Champions are ready, step onto the platform and we will begin the Third Task!" North declared as more cheers rose from the crowd.

Rapunzel turned and stepped up onto the circular platform, followed first by Elsa and then Jim. The three Champions stood back to back, wands poised at their sides, and North raised one of his swords that doubled as his wand.

"Begin!" He shouted and with a flick of his sword there was a rush all around Rapunzel, and then suddenly everything was dark. She could hear her own heart thumping steadily against her chest and the breathing of her fellow Champions behind her, but she couldn't see anything.

" _Lumos!_ " She hissed quietly, her voice echoing loudly in the silent space, but the tip of her wand lit up with a bright light that illuminated everything around her for a good five feet.

True to North's words, they were in what appeared to be a very large room somewhere in the Dungeons. The ceiling was low, making the space more claustrophobic than it should be, and the floor, walls, and ceiling were made of heavy stone. There were stone columns spaced in even rows throughout the entire room, supporting the weight of the castle above them. The sent of mold clouded the stuffy air, and a slow drip echoed from somewhere in the room. They stood in the very center on top of a small, circular platform that glowed with a faint light, not nearly strong enough to cut through the darkness.

 _"Find the clue, get back to the platform. Seems simple enough."_ Rapunzel thought. Perhaps the room was just guarded by booby-traps that they would need to be wary of during their search. The darkness would make it difficult, especially with only having one hour to search the whole room, but Rapunzel wasn't willing to let a few shadows keep her from winning.

Slowly, she stepped down off of the platform and started walking out into the room. Each footstep echoed loudly, bouncing off of the all-stone surroundings, and it heightened her self-awareness. Her back and shoulders were tense.

Something didn't _Feel_ right.

She took a shaky breath and refocused on the task. She couldn't afford to waste time being paranoid. She wasn't some scared little girl in a tower anymore, and she had to find that clue.

Deciding the most efficient way to begin searching would be to canvas the walls and then spiral inwards towards the center, Rapunzel turned and walked briskly in one direction, hoping to find a wall relatively quickly, but also keeping her eyes scanning back and forth for anything that might be an indication of a clue. However, just a few moments after she started walking with more purpose to her steps, Elsa's scream cut through the darkness.

Rapunzel's head snapped around to look in the direction of her cousin's scream, and she could see flashes of blue and white and red as Elsa battled _something_ with her ice magic.

A low growl, brought Rapunzel's attention back to in front of her where before there had been only the stretching darkness, but now there was a giant cat-like creature made entirely of fire stalking towards her. Rapunzel took a few steps backwards, raising her wand as the cat roared at her before crouching and then lunging at her.

" _Stupefy!_ " Rapunzel reacted instinctively, her wand flicking through the movements automatically, and her attack landed a direct hit on the fire-cat, sending it sprawling into two different puddles of flame on the floor. Rapunzel, breathing heavy after the adrenaline rush from the surprise attack, eyed the creature in surprise. Was it really that easy?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the two fires flared and shifted before righting themselves into not just the initial fire-cat, but now there were _two_ of them.

"What?!" Rapunzel exclaimed, stumbling back again as one of the cats roared. They jumped after her as Rapunzel whirled around and started running, the fire-cats right behind her. Perhaps trying to outrun two four-legged creatures wasn't the best idea, but Rapunzel needed time to regroup. She had no idea what these things were or what she was dealing with.

Racing toward one of the stone pillars, Rapunzel stuck out her arm and caught the column, using it to swing her momentum around and shoot off back the way she had come as the fire-cats skidded and tumbled across the stone, trying to right themselves so they could chase after her.

"Okay, so attacking them only feeds the fire." Rapunzel panted as she ran through the dark, only able to see a few feet in front of her thanks to her wand and the glow that had yet to dissipate despite her other spell and panic in the cats' ambush. "So how do I stop these things?" She asked herself, looking over her shoulder to see the two fiery beasts catching up to her.

She wondered if perhaps it was as simple as putting out the flame, but because she wasn't looking where she was going, Rapunzel's foot caught on a chunk of stone that had fallen from a decayed part of ceiling. She lost her balance and went sprawling forward onto the ground, cutting her foot on the rock and scraping her knees and arms on the floor. Her wand clattered away from her, sending her into darkness as the light went out.

Rapunzel's hands skimmed the floor around her frantically as she heard the fire-cats getting closer, growling and snarling as they slowed and closed in on her. The light from their fire-bodies allowed her to see a little better, but it cast long shadows and flickering light that was not too helpful.

Rapunzel spotted her wand a few feet from her, but just as she saw it, one of the cats roared and Rapunzel flipped onto her back just in time to see it leap at her. She rolled to the side with a yelp, and the cat landed on the floor right next to her. Rapunzel scrambled on her hands and knees, trying to get to her wand, but her progress was halted when the cat bit skirt of her travel dress, pulling her back to them.

Rapunzel struggled against the snarling creature, but she couldn't kick it away without burning her foot. Turning back toward her wand, Rapunzel reached out for it, just barely out of reach. She stretched as much as she possibly could, her eyes squeezing shut, but she was still a good two inches away from her only weapon against these beasts.

She opened her eyes just into slits and her wand shot into her hand. Rapunzel's hand closed around it instinctively and her eyes went wide, but she whirled around immediately and pointed her wand up as one of the cats leaped straight for her neck.

" _Aguamenti!_ " Rapunzel shouted and water burst from the tip of her wand like a spout, spraying the cats with water. The fire-beings shrieked and fell away as their flames grew smaller and smaller.

When the fires were gone, Rapunzel finally lowered her wand, panting hard from the scare. Echoing sounds of battle came from other places in the room that Rapunzel couldn't see, but she was more concerned about whether or not there were more of those strange fire-cats lingering about.

" _Lumos_ ," She murmured, giving herself some light so she could inspect herself for any serious injuries. There was a minor burn on her leg from when the cat had been pulling on her skirt and there were a few scrapes and bruises that would be tender for a little while, but overall she didn't see anything that needed immediate attention.

She stood and brushed herself off and then looked around, casting her wand this way and that to find out what she could see and if any of it was actually useful. She found herself standing next to one of the support columns in the room and noticed a peculiar marking on it. She stepped closer and realized half of the marking that had been carved into the stone had been covered with fresh mud and mildew. She brushed it away and found an arrow pointing to one side, off into the darkness and the number three was carved into the stone below it.

Curious, Rapunzel followed the arrow's direction, walking into the dark. Her steps guarded with caution, Rapunzel quickly came to another pillar and found another arrow, only this one had the number five carved beneath it. She paused a moment just to inspect and then pressed forward again. And a third time she found a pillar with an arrow, this one with a number two as it's companion.

Rapunzel's brow furrowed as she continued onward into the dark, noticing that the sounds of battle had entirely faded, which meant the others were also probably searching for their clues as well.

The next thing she found was a wall. It was a typical ancient dungeon wall with cracks and moss growing from the moisture. Lines of wetness marked where water was seeping in as tiny, tiny rivers through the earth. In the center of the wall, though, were multiple groupings of dots. Similar to what Rapunzel had seen on some of Ruffnut and Tuffnut's trick dice. There were nine groupings each with a matching number of dots and spaced evenly across the wall as if spaced on a grid with no lines. Rapunzel pursed her lips as she gently ran her hand over some of the dots.

When her hand touched some of the dots, the whole group of dots lit up with a gentle, sparkly glow. Rapunzel quickly withdrew her hand and all of the dots in the seventh grouping faded back to normal stone. Rapunzel looked between her hand and the stone and then back. Hesitantly, she reached out again and touched the dots a second time.

Nothing happened.

Rapunzel huffed, blowing a lock of hair off her forehead as her arm dropped back to her side. She looked up at the symbols for a moment, and then a thought came to her. She lifted her wand and tapped the stone with three dots on it.

All three dots lit up with that gentle glow. So she tapped the stone with five dots on it, and those dots lit up too. Finally she tapped the stone with two dots on it and those dots lit up. With all three groups glowing they grew brighter, more intense, and there was a scraping noise as the three stones slid into the wall.

Rapunzel jumped when she heard a similar scraping sound behind her and turned to find a portion of the floor had pulled back to allow a pedestal to rise from the floor. On top of the small pillar was a scroll, tied with a ribbon. Rapunzel walked towards it and carefully lifted the scroll from the pedestal, which after a moments pause, moved back into the floor and disappeared as if it had never been there at all.

Rapunzel grinned down at the scroll, excited to have found the next clue, but the moment was short lived because a growl cut through her happy thoughts. Turning around, Rapunzel found three more of the fire-cats had poured out from the stones in the wall and were slowly stalking towards her as their bodies formed fully.

"Ooookay, time to go!" Rapunzel told herself as she stumbled back a few steps and then raced back the way she had come. The fire-cats roared and chased after her.

She ran mostly blind as her light couldn't cut through enough of the darkness to allow her to sprint fully and see where it was she was going, but having stumbled through the mostly-flat terrain enough, Rapunzel figured she had better chances risking a blind sprint than trying to be careful about her steps.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel saw one of the cats flying through the air, and ducked to the side just in time to avoid it's massive paws and keep running. The roars and snarls getting closer and closer with each thundering step. Rapunzel's lungs were burning and the darkness seemed to stretch on forever, but she forced herself to keep running as she fumbled for her wand, trying to think of a spell that could take all three of them at once or else she risk taking down one or two just to get blind-sided by the third.

Just when she was sure her lungs were going to burst, a flash of blue light came from just a little ways ahead of her and then settled into a faint glow. It was the platform that would transport her out of the room. Rapunzel felt of surge of hope, and with it a quick burst of extra energy as she raced for the platform.

Despite her renewed gusto, one of the cats, somehow circling around, leaped out in front of her and blocked her path. Rapunzel skidded to a halt, surrounded by the three beasts. They began circling her as Rapunzel looked back and forth, pointing her wand at any of them that threatened to get to close. They were smart enough to shy away from the wand, but also enough to know they had her trapped and if she attacked one, she would leave herself open to the other two.

Rapunzel twisted this way and that, but found no way of escape. To her surprise, though, she didn't feel fear. Instead she felt a surge of determination and her magic welled up like a tide rushing in unexpectedly.

" _Atmos Pherium!_ " She cried, giving a couple big swirls with a wand and then pointing it straight at the ceiling. A ball of light shot from her wand with a loud crack of thunder and then disappeared into the darkness of the ceiling. Not a moment later, storm clouds formed over them and rain began pouring from the roof as the fiery cats shrieked and tried to flee from the torrential downpour that had taken over half of the room.

Rapunzel stood at the center, watching the creatures fade and disappeared with rushes of steam. Her clothes were completely soaked through, and the rain drops were so big and came so quickly it felt almost like sleet or hail. Seeing her path cleared before her, though, Rapunzel grinned and skipped into a sprint towards the platform, her feet slapping across the wet stone.

She reached the platform, leaping into the light and up the single step to stand on it. Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel spotted Elsa racing over with her clue in hand, but Rapunzel was already whisked back into the main hall.

She gasped and stumbled off of the platform with a wide grin as the Hogwarts students in the crowd exploded into loud cheers. Elsa came through right behind her, and Rapunzel was surprised to see that Jim was already there, resting and half-way to catching his breath.

"And that concludes the Third Task!" Professor North shouted over all the excitement. "With Jim taking first place, Rapunzel coming in Second, and Elsa coming in third the Champions are all evenly matched. The Fourth and Final Task will determine the Winner of this year's Tri-Wizard Tournament!"

"That was incredible!" Jack exclaimed, catching Rapunzel up in a tight hug as he, Merida, and Eugene rushed over to her. "When on earth did you learn the Atmospheric Charm?"

"I've never tried it before. I've only read about it." Rapunzel admitted sheepishly as she felt her cheeks heat up a bit even through the cold of being completely drenched. "I don't know how to explain it, it's just, in the moment I just knew that I could do it."

"Well, it was amazing!" Merida grinned as Eugene came up behind her a placed a towel over her shoulders, rubbing them a bit to help her warm up.

"You never cease to amaze." Eugene said, smiling down at her, and this time Rapunzel felt heat rushing up her whole face to her ears.

"Thanks, Eugene." She murmured, fiddling with the ends of the towel.

"Maybe now would be a good time to ask sense I have your attention," Eugene said, one side of his mouth quirking up into a smirk, and Rapunzel looked at him, feeling a little confused about what he was talking about. "Rapunzel, would you do me the honor of being my date to the Champion's Ball."

The crowd that had gathered around them gasped or cooed in surprise. Merida and Jack and gave smug, knowing grins. But Rapunzel wasn't paying much attention to any of that. Her heart fluttered inside of her chest and her cheeks ached from the bright smile she couldn't help.

"Yes!" She burst out finally, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. His hands came up to her waist to return it. "I thought you'd never ask! Merida kept saying I should just ask you!"

"Well, it wasn't from lack of trying, you know." Eugene informed her pointedly, and she pulled back from the hug with a chuckle, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I got distracted a couple times, didn't I?" She looked up at him, already knowing the answer, but his eyes only held fondness.

"I wouldn't say distracted, more just was always running off before I could get to the point." Eugene assured her and they shared a laugh. Then he took her hand and lifted it up so he could kiss the back of it.

The burning feeling quickly came back to her face as all of her friends called out or squealed in excitement and encouragement. Rapunzel met Eugene's gaze and the softness in his eyes made her chest warm from the inside-out.


	22. I See The Light

**Music:** "I See The Light" from Tangled

_NOTES: Those we love don't go away. They walk beside us every day; Unseen, Unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed, and very dear..._

**Chapter 22: I See The Light**

The train's whistle pierced the air as it traveled over the tracks that stretched the great expanse of sea between the mainland Kingdoms and The Great Moor. The sun shone brightly on the water, making it glitter as the waves swelled and dipped. A pod of dolphins skipped along the tracks playfully, getting the attention of many of the younger students on the train, no doubt. The Bridge of the Moors built to look as though it were laying on top of the oceans surface made it easy to admire the amazing scene outside.

It had been two weeks since the last task, and with the school year quickly coming to a close, so was the tournament. They were well into the middle of Spring, and their trip to the Moor would last almost a full week as the tournament concluded with it's Ball and the final challenge. After that they would all return to Hogwarts to prepare for final exams that were only a little more than a month away.

Rapunzel stared out at the bright, blue sea, marveling out how fast this school year had passed by. She and the other Champions were given a train-car to themselves near the front of the train. It looked more like a lounge than the neat seating compartments that Rapunzel was used to, but it was comfortable.

Rapunzel was curled up on a short couch-like seat beside one of the large windows, and Jim was sitting on a stool at a beverage and snack bar on one side. Elsa had stepped out to go check on her sister after the teachers had been by to see them and inform them about the Ball tomorrow night. Apparently it was tradition for the three Champions to begin the first dance of the night, and Professor Hera had gone over details with them to assure they wouldn't be caught off guard.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! We will be arriving at The Great Moor in about twenty minutes. Please gather all of your belongings and prepare to depart from the train." The operator's voice announced over the tin-piping communication system.

Jim jumped about half a foot in the air at the sudden noise and then sighed heavily as he leaned his elbows against the bar. Rapunzel smiled and stood from her seat, walking over to the younger boy.

"Nervous?" She asked and he turned to look at her, surprised in a less startling way this time. Rapunzel smiled and slid onto the stool next to him. "I don't think I could've done any of this when I was in my fourth year. You're doing incredibly well in this tournament, you know."

"Really?" Jim questioned, his expression revealing his doubt in her statement. "B-but you're _You_. Princess Rapunzel of Corona and Guardian in Training. You fought Pitch Black during your _First Year_! You've fought in so many battles, and you're one of the youngest leading figures in the battle against Pitch now! I've just been stumbling along! The only reason I've made it this far is because of Toby and Emma helping me."

"You three have gotten pretty close, haven't you?" Rapunzel asked. She'd noticed the three of them spending more and more time together, and part of her was really happy to see Emma finally spending more of her time with kids her own age, even if they were still a year older than her. The other part of Rapunzel was still surprised it had happened so suddenly and with two people she never would have guessed.

Though, she knew she wasn't really one to talk, and that thought made her smile with a memory of simpler times.

"Yeah," Jim said, grinning at her. "I can't really explain it, but it feels like we've always been friends... That probably doesn't make any sense."

"No, it does. Believe me, I know." Rapunzel murmured reassuringly, and Jim smiled.

"I guess _Hogwarts_ wasn't really what I was expecting to begin with." Jim admitted with a slightly wry half-smile. It made Rapunzel chuckle in a very familiar way.

"How so?" She asked.

"Well, for one thing, I had no idea the _Castle_ itself was magical and that there'd be moving staircases and live pictures and everything else!" Jim exclaimed, making Rapunzel smile. "But then, I think also the people too. I don't know if you know this, but the reputation of Hogwarts students is kind of intimidating."

"Says the boy from an all-boys, warrior school." Rapunzel teased lightly, and Jim scratched the back of his head with a slight grimace.

"Yeah... I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not much the Strong Warrior type." Jim pointed out dryly, and this time Rapunzel outright laughed. "But Hogwarts is the greatest wizarding school in the world. Everyone says that Hogwarts students are destined for greatness. When I heard I'd be going up against you and your cousin in this tournament, I thought for sure I was done for!"

"And now?" Rapunzel wanted to know.

"Well, now you and Elsa have both been really nice to me, even though everyone keeps saying I cheated to get in this stupid tournament. Heck, you even saved me during the second challenge." Jim looked at her, and the gratitude in his eyes made Rapunzel's cheeks warm up a little in surprise. "And now I know Emma, too, and she's probably the nicest, most caring, and determined person I've ever met."

"If you don't mind me asking, if you didn't put your name in the Goblet of Fire, do you have any idea who would?" Rapunzel inquired, still curious about the whole event, especially now that she knew Jim a little better. He seemed so responsible, honest, and also shy; definitely not the type to get into this sort of tournament. She couldn't imagine him putting his own name in if he was allowed to, let alone trying to find a way around rules and protective spells.

Jim looked like he wanted to say something, but hesitated. He looked away from her, and then finally settled on something pretty vague. "I have an idea, but I haven't got any proof." He said. "And without some solid evidence, it'd be pretty dangerous and stupid to tell anyone."

"Do you feel like you're in danger?" Rapunzel pressed lightly, now fully facing him with the utmost seriousness. If this boy was in trouble, she wasn't going to stand by and let something bad happen to him. She's a Guardian, after all.

"Uh, well, define ' _danger_ '." He babbled awkwardly, using air-quotes around the word as he gave a nervous chuckle.

"Jim, if you have any reason to believe someone is trying to hurt you then you can tell me." Rapunzel told him, placing her hand on his shoulder for what she hoped was a comforting weight. "We can go to Professor North together, and the Guardians can help you."

"Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are about to reach our destination in about ten minutes. Please take your seats and remain seated until the train has come to a complete stop, and we hope you enjoy your time in The Great Moor." The operator's voice returned, drawing Rapunzel's gaze up to the decorated piping head, and when she turned back to Jim he gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"I appreciate you trying to help, but I don't think the Guardians are going to be much help in this particular problem... If I do need help, though, I know who I can turn to." His smile softened into a genuine expression of thankfulness, and Rapunzel inhaled to argue, but then thought better of it and relented, nodding at him.

As the two Champions went back to the couches to sit on sturdier seating, Rapunzel decided she would respect Jim's decision for now. But she was also determined to keep a closer eye on the boy in case whatever trouble he was in turned out to be bigger than he was letting on.

* * *

The Moor was as wonderful and amazing as Rapunzel remembered. This time, however, the island was alive with the new growth and bright blossoms of Spring instead of delicate snowflakes and sparkling powder. The inner city was packed full of people and creatures from all across the Allied Kingdoms. Everyone was excited to gather together and witness the history-making tournament.

The Sprites and Fairies were hurrying to and fro, preparing the town square at the center of the seasonal temples circles for the Ball that would occur tomorrow night. The Nature Fairy Queen, Queen Clarion, was there to greet the teachers, especially Toothiana as a fellow Fairy Queen, and the Sprite Elders were also part of the welcoming party.

Rapunzel had known from the start that the Tri-Wizard Tournament was heavily saturated with politics, but it still shocked her to see so many important figures had chosen to attend. Of course, most of the known Royals were not in attendance such as Rapunzel's or Merida's parents, but this was one of the few times when the leading figures of the Moor, or other Wilder-Creature tribes, were within public view. She suspected it was also used as a time to raise awareness to the general populace about concerns or issues that may be occurring in their realms. Possibly an opportunity to gain favor with Royals or Nobles who would be willing to provide political and, or financial support for whatever purpose.

The students, however, were directed away from the underlying purpose of the final challenge being located in the Moor by being sent towards their lodgings. The South-West side of the city went directly up against the water at the edge of the island, and that was where a very large, extravagant hotel awaited them with plenty of space for all of the students to stay in.

Rapunzel and Merida entered the room assigned to the Sixth Year Hogwarts girls, and they both grinned in amazement and excitement. The room was very large and every bed was a large, four-poster type bed with countless pillows and thick comforters. There were couches and soft cushions strewn about the room, an attached bedroom with several faucets and mirrors, and a dressing room with enough closet space for all of the girls.

Rapunzel looked at Merida, who matched her gaze, and they both tried very hard to suppress the grins that threatened to burst across their faces. They almost immediately lost that battle and both girls raced for the nearest pillow, arming themselves as several other girls caught on and started screaming as they, too, lunged for fluffy weapons.

That evening, Rapunzel lay awake in the middle of one of the large, soft beds. Merida lay awake next to her, and Mavis was sound asleep on her right. Ruffnut was sprawled horizontally across the foot of the bed, snoring loudly.

They liked the sleepover feeling, so instead of separating to each have their own bed, they decided to just share. That, and they had been playing games together until some of the girls had passed out from the sheer exhaustion of the day and no one really wanted to move them. Some girls were even curled up on the floor. The messiness and carefree feelings their whole evening had left Rapunzel on a high, a bright smile on her face as she stared up at the ceiling, enchanted to show the night sky, just like the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

"What are you thinking about?" Merida whispered without looking away from the stars above. Her voice was soft, both of them not wanting to wake their friends.

"The last time we were here. The four of us together." Rapunzel murmured back, her voice drifting along with her thoughts. "Things were a lot more simple back then. We were only worried about you getting betrothed."

"Seems so silly now, doesn't it?" Merida asked, turning her head to look at her with a slight chuckle.

"Maybe, but sometimes I just wish..." Rapunzel gently shook her head, still looking up at the stars as she trailed off with a silent sigh.

"I know what you mean." Merida said, looking up again. They were quiet for a few moments, just laying side by side, each of them lost in their own thoughts. "He'd be proud of you, ya know." Merida finally whispered so quietly that it was barely even a breath.

"I know." Rapunzel replied, keeping her eyes fixed on the night sky. Her voice just as soft, but there was a slight squeak to it that gave away the tightness of it. She swallowed, trying to ease the sudden thickness.

"Hey." Rapunzel closed her eyes and steadied herself with a few deep breaths, waiting until her eyes stopped swelling before turning her head and opening her eyes. Merida was already looking at her. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, but she was smiling.

"I miss him." Rapunzel blurted out.

"I know. I miss him too." She nodded, still with that same expression the Rapunzel couldn't seem to grasp.

"Some days are easier, but there's always this ache that won't go away." She babbled, feeling the need to fill the silence since Merida wouldn't.

"It's never going to stop hurting, but that's okay. That's how you know that you still carry him with you." Merida assured her as she held her hand, giving it a squeeze. Rapunzel squeezed back, holding on tight.

"I just can't help wondering if things would be different if he were here. He was always so calm. He always knew what to say... I know he and Jack were brothers, and we were all close of course, but... You and Jack balance each other so well in a fight, and I... I'm the Sun..." Rapunzel bit her lip, staring up at the enchanted ceiling, but there was no moon. No enchantment could mimic the Sun or the Moon. They were simply too powerful. "I just wish he was here."

"I do too." Merida said.

They fell back into silence again. They both lived through a period of time when everyone just kept saying that he'd want them to keep going, that he was in a better place. Everyone tried to comfort them and make things better, but the truth is there was no bettering the situation at all. They both simply missed him, and lying there in silence together was much more comforting than any of the words that had been thrown at them back when he first disappeared.

"I think he would've made a better Champion than me." Rapunzel confided to Merida, gaining a curious look from the redhead.

"Are you crazy? Hiccup hated fighting! And he wouldn't have cared much for 'Eternal Glory' either. He probably would've found this whole thing more troublesome than anything else." Merida smothered her chuckles as she spoke, not wanting to wake the others.

"I know," Rapunzel smiled. "But he could've solved all these clues with just one glance at them... And he didn't like fighting, but he was still so talented."

"Yeah, he was." Merida nodded in agreement. "But you are too. And I know, if he were here, he'd have more faith in you than anyone else. Hiccup always believed in you."

"I just hope I can be deserving of all that faith. Of yours and Jack's, too." Rapunzel expressed, squeezing Merida's hand again.

"You already are." Merida assured her.

"I still can't seem to figure out the last clue, though. It's just a squiggly line." Rapunzel huffed a sigh.

"I'm sure it'll come to you eventually." Merida told her. "Why don't we just focus on making it through this Ball? It might be fun, and it'll give you time to relax before the final task."

"You're right," Rapunzel said, looking at her friend and grinning. "Besides, you agreed to let me do your makeup for the Ball!"

"A decision I'm starting to regret already." Merida retorted and Rapunzel laughed.

* * *

_Rapunzel didn't know where she was. The island was cold and dead. Everything seemed completely void of color. The ocean raged, waves crashing angrily against the rocks and creating a damp feeling across the whole island that left a chill in her bones. The harsh winds whipped her short hair across her face as she turned and looked up in shock at the massive fortress that stood before her. It was made entirely of black stone with iron bars on every window and door._

_Her vision flashed and changed to a dark corridor with prison cells lining both sides, the hall stretched so far it didn't end, it just faded into blackness. There was a distant drip, confirming that the dampness penetrated even the thick stone walls of the fortress. There were whispers of pained groaning, a distant scream cut through the air and her heart was pounding in her chest._

_"Ahh!" Rapunzel cried out, touching her hands to her forehead as pain exploded in her head. The felt as though someone was driving knives into both her temples at the same time._

_Through the pain her vision flashed with horrifying, bloody glimpses. There was a constant rining in her ears through every blurry sight; the crack of a whip and a body jerking against his restraints, a knife sawing through clumps of auburn hair, a needle pressing into soft tissue but in the confusion Rapunzel wasn't sure if it was injecting something or drawing blood or both..._

_Then suddenly the pain was gone. She felt stiff and it was cold. So cold. And dark. She couldn't see anything except for the iron bars of a cell in front of her. Her whole body trembled from the cold. She looked down at her hands and saw frost inching up her fingertips. She looked up at the cell again, peering into the darkness._

_She could see a figure. Human. On their knees, slouched over themselves. Suddenly the head snapped up, revealing bright green eyes that glowed with black-slit pupils._

_And there was blood. His whole body was covered in blood..._

Rapunzel threw herself into a sitting position, breathing hard. Her heart was racing, she couldn't catch her breath, and a cold sweat covered her whole body. She looked around, seeing that everyone, even Merida, was still fast asleep.

Rapunzel looked down at her hands. They were shaking. But the only thing she could remember was blood. So much blood...

* * *

Merida's dress for the ball was burgundy color and sported a simple design with a close neckline and no sleeves. There was a dipping V on her back, but her loose curls covered most of it. Rapunzel decided to have mercy on her and let her go with very light, natural makeup, but she couldn't resist also giving her a dark red lipstick to match her dress. Merida was happy with the result and smiled and laughed along with Rapunzel and the other girls of their year as they all got ready together.

Rapunzel decided not to do much in the way of makeup either, preferring a natural look, though she did use a little bit of light pink, sparkly eyeshadow for fun. Her dress was light pink with off the shoulder straps that had flowers sewn onto them and down one side of her skirt that flared out at her waist.

When the time finally came, they all left the hotel together, talking and giggling. The main square of the city was situated at the foot of the Temple of Light which stood directly in the center of the circle formed by the Seasonal Temples. Directly across from the Temple of Light was another set of stairs that was the main entrance for the square. Multiple landings and two sets of stairs that merged into one on the very last flight led down to the square from an open garden courtyard where many visitors would come to view the Temple of Light in all it's splendor. Tonight that courtyard was filled with excited students as they waited to go inside with their dates or their friends.

Merida nudged Rapunzel's arm when she looked at her fiery friend, she simple nodded her head in one direction. Rapunzel followed her motion and spotted Eugene who was already looking at her with an awed expression on his face.

He was clad in a green coat with tails, a bronze under shirt, a white jabot collar, and tan pants with sturdy boots. His hair was a bit more combed, though this possessed his rogue-ish charm, and he held a single red rose with a short stem.

"We'll head down to the party. You can catch up whenever you're ready." Merida said, pushing the other girls towards the stairs and their own dates despite their grinning and giggling. Rapunzel felt herself blush, but smiled and walked over to meet Eugene. He smelled nice, too, apparently, because she caught a touch of his cologne when she stepped up in front of him.

"You look beautiful." He said, never taking his eyes off of her and Rapunzel felt her cheeks burn.

"Well, you look rather dashing yourself this evening." She smiled up at him. Eugene grinned and then swept his arms into an extravagant bow. Rapunzel laughed, playing along as she curtsied to him and then took his offered hand. Eugene straightened up and then reached out to tuck the rose into her hair on top of her ear.

"There you are!" North suddenly appeared beside them, making the pair jump and move apart slightly as Rapunzel fiddled with her fingers a bit awkwardly. "Come, come, come! We will be starting soon!" North continued without a pause, ushering them towards the stairs.

They went down to the first landing, hidden by planter boxes and tall flowering bushes on nearly all sides, and found everyone waiting for them. Varvatos Vex and Hera were there to help instruct the Champions, Elsa and Jack were there as each others dates for the evening, and then Jim was also there with a girl Rapunzel recognized as being from Beauxbatons and the same year as Jim. As Rapunzel and Eugene joined them, they all stepped to the side a bit so that students and teachers could pass without trouble.

"Good, it seems we're all lined up for the procession," Hera said, turning to the other two professors as they launched into discussing details of how the evening would be scheduled.

"I don't believe we've met, I'm Rapunzel." Rapunzel said, taking the moment of quiet to introduce herself to Jim's date. She smiled back and shook her hand.

"It's an honor, your highness. I'm Claire Nunez from Bueaxbatons." Claire said, dipping her head politely.

"Claire is one of the highest scoring students of her year. She was also one of my assigned students when I was still serving a Prefect at school." Elsa told them, smiling at the younger girl. "How did you two meet?"

"Oh, Jim and I actually grew up in the same town. We didn't really know each other until this year, though." Claire explained and Jim chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Jim looked off to the side, but then something seemed to catch his attention as his head lifted suddenly with wide eyes. "Whoa." He murmured.

Rapunzel followed his gaze with everyone else, and found Emma slowly walking down the stairs. She was wearing a blue dress with layered chiffon down both sides of the skirt. The top layers were lighter than the bottom ones, creating a fade affect much like the ocean. The dress straps had one thin chiffon piece on each shoulder to act as a sleeve, and underneath was a smooth, silk base. It was all flowy and elegant, and Rapunzel smiled as Emma reached the last step and stood in front of them.

"You look great, Emma." Jack smiled at her, and Emma nodded.

"Thanks, Jack." Emma ducked her head, but couldn't hide the smile. Rapunzel knew from an earlier conversation with Jack that their mother had been so excited about the ball, she'd gone ahead and made them both some proper formal clothes. Jack's robes were traditional Winter Sprite garments, and the braid in his hair that held the beads and stones from his coming of age ceremony was getting longer and longer. It now brushed the top of his shoulder.

"She looks better than great," Elsa said, smiling brightly at Emma. "You look beautiful."

"Yeah, she does." Jim smiled, speaking so softly that Rapunzel had almost missed it, but looking over at the boy, she didn't think he'd meant to say it out loud. Claire seemed to notice, too, though, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Thank you. I'm going to go join the others. Good luck with the dance." Emma said, directing the last statement more to Jim than anyone else and he seemed to suddenly come back to himself with a horror-struck expression as he gulped. "You'll be fine!" Emma laughed over her shoulder as she started down the next set of stairs.

"Nervous?" Eugene asked him, and Jim forced a laugh.

"Who? Me? No way!" Jim waved jokingly, but it was stiff and awkward.

Before Rapunzel could offer any comfort the professors joined them again to inform them that it was time to line up and get into their positions. It all happened so fast, Rapunzel walked down the steps with Eugene behind Jack and Elsa, but in front of Jim and Claire. Everyone stood watching and clapping as they walked straight to the dance floor at the center of the square.

The three pairs took their positions, evenly spaced across the floor, and Eugene calmly pulled Rapunzel close with one hand at her waist and the other holding her hand. Rapunzel smiled up at him as the conductor struck up the band, signaling the opening notes. Then the music played and they were sweeping across the floor, twirling skirts and elegance as they moved through a classic waltz.

Rapunzel grinned as they dance, loving the spins and jumps as Eugene led her through the steps. In a twirl, Rapunzel spotted Merida standing off to the side with Thuggory and Camicazi. Merida stuck her thumb up in encouragement, but her smile didn't reach her eyes, and Rapunzel wondered what she was talking about with the two vikings.

When she and Eugene swept around together, Rapunzel managed to catch Jack's eyes passing by on the dance floor. She felt a warm feeling in her chest at the fun and mischievous sparkle in his eyes, but it was made bittersweet by the memories that flooded her mind after not seeing that look for so long.

Across the floor, Jim tried desperately not to step on Claire's toes, and he managed pretty well, but Rapunzel could see he was really nervous and she felt sympathy towards him. Jim was a good kid, and Rapunzel found herself becoming more and more concerned about the strangeness surrounding his circumstances.

A surge of clapping rose from the crowd as Professor North walked onto the dance floor with Professor Hera. Other Professors followed their lead, and then some of the braver students. Everyone was trickling out onto the floor, and it wasn't long until nearly everyone was twirling and swaying.

"You okay?" Eugene asked, tilting his head at her as they continued to dance, though their movements were less precise now that they weren't the center of attention and they could relax.

"I'm terrified." Rapunzel whispered, not looking up into his face. She was just too consumed by all the thoughts racing through her head.

"Why?" He didn't sound confused, just curious, and Rapunzel didn't no why that little thing meant so much, but it did. Like even if it didn't make sense, Eugene would never judge her for feeling anything.

"For eleven years I spent all my time dreaming about seeing the world, getting out of that tower. Then I came to Hogwarts and, well, I met such amazing friends and we went on crazy adventures together and I've seen so many new and exciting places and things. I've learned a lot, too, and I've experienced a lot, like friendships so deep they feel like family, o-or how good it feels to win a fight beside the people you love... Or how much it hurts when you lose." Rapunzel told him, her eyes moving back and forth and around as she tried to find the words. "And it was more than I ever could have dreamed... But now everything is changing, at least everything that hadn't already changed, and... what happens after? After the Tournament, after the fight with Pitch? What if that's it? What if the adventure is over? What do I do then?"

"Well, that's the good part, I guess," Eugene shrugged, giving her a soft smile that made her heart skip in her chest. "You get to go find a new dream."

"Yeah. I guess, you're right." Rapunzel felt her mouth turn up in a small smile all on it's own as she kept her eyes locked on Eugene's. They were still dancing across the floor, the whole night bathed in the starlight. "I don't know how you do that."

"Do what?" He asked, and there was that curious look again.

"There are times when I just felt so afraid; like when we were younger and I was more than a little afraid of you. Or just now, when all these things start piling up. Somehow you just manage to make everything okay, and I'm not afraid anymore. You know what I mean?" Rapunzel peered up at him, wondering if her babbling was making any sense to him.

Then Eugene leaned his head down so their foreheads were almost touching, and he hugged her closer as they danced. "I'm starting to." He said simply, and those three little words made her heart soar.

She wanted to scream and sing and dance and jump all at once as Eugene spun her again before pulling her back close to him. Rapunzel laughed, letting her head fall onto his shoulder as they continued waltzing right into the next song, and the song after that. Rapunzel hummed quietly, and eventually Eugene joined her, and then they were singing together. Not loudly, just enough so that they could hear, unaware and uncaring about the world around them, at least for a little while.

Rapunzel wasn't sure if it was just her, but the lanterns hanging all around the square seemed to glow brighter, casting the entire space in a warm and wonderful light. Rapunzel felt a pleasant tingle in her fingertips and she felt out of breath, but in a good way. Like she had breathed one giant sigh of contentment.

It was strange, but in the middle of all the chaos from the change and uncertainty, she'd managed to find some solid ground with Jack and Merida, and now Eugene too. She didn't have all the answers, and plenty had gone wrong these past few years, but she was determined to see a bright future ahead. One filled with love, warmth, and fond memories.


	23. Ugly Truth

**Music:** "Ugly Truth" by Lauren Aquilina

_NOTES: Denial is Knowing the Truth, Seeing the Truth, but still believing the Lies..._

**Chapter 23: Ugly Truth**

The afternoon sun was bright and hot. Emma walked along the beach, the water rushing up and covering her feet in cool and refreshing salt water before receding back again. She lifted her chin, enjoying the mist that came from the waves and the smell of the open sea. It was too hot to be comfortable, but that meant it would give way to a warm night, ideal for the Ball they would all be attending later that evening.

Though the beach was empty as everyone prepared for the Ball and Tournament, leaving the surrounding space calm and peaceful, Emma's mind was spiraling. Whether that spiral was going up or down, she wasn't quite sure.

It had been weeks since she finished sharing all of the details of her research with Antonio, and still nothing had happened. When she asked him about it, on two different occasions, he had assured her that he was looking very closely with the Auror he'd been assigned to and they were simply checking the information over again before bringing it to the higher ups. Now that they were already at the Moor, she feared there was no helping Hogwarts at all. She had tried again to speak directly to the Guardians two days ago when she realized Antonio was taking too long, but she'd once again been shooed away by Lady Tremaine and the Prime Minister. Now they were almost out of time. The last of the guests would arrive the day of the final challenge, and Emma knew that would be the perfect time for Pitch to attack Hogwarts. She was racking her brain, trying to think of a way to make them listen, to save the school, but she'd exhausted every resource and every ability within her limited power.

She had considered going to Jack for help for a little while, he was her big brother after all and she knew that in simpler circumstances she could always count on him, but the idea quickly lost it's appeal because she knew Jack wouldn't let her vague sources for the information slide. He would want details. Details that could lead to sharing secrets that shouldn't be shared or that weren't hers to share in the first place. She also knew she couldn't lie to him directly. He would see through it in an instant. Similar thoughts had barred her from approaching Rapunzel and Merida as well because they would be suspicious as to why she didn't bring her concerns to Jack.

She felt caught between two impossible situations; sacrifice herself and the dire secrets she was holding onto, or sacrifice Hogwarts which could set the pace for the coming war. No matter which path she took it would lead her to death and destruction.

Meanwhile, everyone else was squealing and giggling about a party and dresses and who's going with who. It was really quite frustrating. Rapunzel had tried to convince her to join her and the other older girls while they got ready together throughout the day, but Emma kindly declined the offer with a vague excuse of enjoying her extended family while she was here.

Sighing, Emma looked up at the stone stairs ahead that lead up from the end of the beach to the more solid ground just a little bit above the sand. She was nearing the hotel and the afternoon was quickly slipping by. Soon everyone would be gathering for the Ball.

She decided to head back and see what sort of chaos had developed in the hours prior to the Ball. She was not surprised to see people racing through the hotel, giggling in small groups, chattering to each other, going over dance steps in a panic. The entire place seemed overrun by students and the management seemed to be at their wits end trying to keep them all in line. Of course the teachers were there to help bring order, but even with the fear of detention or the possibility of being banned from the Ball, there was still much to do to get everyone ready on time.

Emma slipped along the edge of the chaos, trying to get to the room she was sharing with her year-mates. She figured she still had a good hour or two before she'd need to put on the dress her mother made. She was too distracted to enjoy day-long pampering with the rest of the students, and she wasn't planning on doing anything too special with her appearance anyways.

Walking down the hall until she reached the right door, Emma pushed on the heavy wood and entered the room. She noticed all of the girls were gathered around Margo who was seated on one of the plush stools by a vanity, turned towards the other girls. Her eyes were red from crying and she gently dabbed at her nose with a handkerchief.

"Did something happen?" Emma asked, looking at all of the other girls as she wondered what was happening. Her confusion only grew when the other girls looked at her with glares of disapproval or disgust.

"Like you don't know." Margo snapped, standing abruptly. She glared at Emma and then stalked passed her, leaving the room. Pippa, Riley, and the other girls all followed after her, casting varying looks of distaste and angry disbelief. Emma stared after them, even more confused, and then she turned to Vanellope and Cupcake who were the only two left. Cupcake fidgeted awkwardly, looking uncertain and worried, and Vanellope was looking off to the side, her brow furrow in a glare and her arms crossed over her chest.

"Did I miss something?" Emma wanted to know, facing her two friends while also pointing in the direction all the other girls had gone.

"You tell us," Vanellope retorted, dropping her arms as she waved one at Emma. "We haven't seen you in weeks. But now you're apparently flirting with Margo's boyfriend?"

"What?!" Emma gaped at her. "What are you talking about? I haven't been flirting with anyone!"

"That's not what Antonio told Margo." Cupcake mumbled, still fidgeting, though her movements slowed as she looked up to meet Emma's gaze.

"What did Antonio tell Margo?" Emma asked, her hands curling up a little bit.

"Antonio says he's been helping you with the filing in the Aurors office to be nice, but then _you_ started flirting with him. He said he tried to say no, but you insisted, and because he's a man I guess that means he can't be alone with a girl for an extended period of time without making out with her!? Which he then turned back on Margo, saying that you were just so easy and willing while Margo's always pushing him away whenever her dad's around? Emma, seriously, what is even happening?!" Vanellope ranted, waving her arms about.

"What?" Emma yelped, her stomach lurching as it attempted to empty itself, but she managed to hold it down. "That is not what happened! Not even close! I -I would never!... You guys know I wouldn't, don't you?" Emma looked at them, her arms hanging limply at her sides as she watched their expressions desperately.

"Well, how could we?" Vanellope demanded, her hardened expression cracking a bit to reveal some hurt. "We haven't seen you in weeks! And when we see you around, you're getting all chummy with those Durmstrang kids!"

"We see each other all the time in classes! And maybe I've been busy with work, but you've been just as much with Quidditch practice!" Emma defended herself, waving a hand at Vanellope in return. "And if you mean Jim and Toby, so what? They've been kind to me, which is more than I can say for some people at Hogwarts! They're my _friends_! That's the whole point of this tournament! International Magical Cooperation!"

"I think they've got a little more than friendship on their minds! Have you even considered that maybe they're just using you to win the tournament? It's like you don't even care if Hogwarts wins or not! Where's your loyalty?" Vanellope shouted.

"Loyalty?" Emma fumed, her hands balling into tight fists. "What do you know of Loyalty? You won't even believe me over Antonio! And the second the Guardians made a deal with the Ministry everyone was perfectly happy to forget everything and focus in on ball gowns and courting! Have you all forgotten that under all this glitz and glam there is a _War_ coming?!"

"Why don't you go cry about it to your new best friends? You obviously don't care about any of us anymore!" Vanellope snapped, stomping passed Emma and heading for the door.

"Vanellope!" Emma shouted in utter disbelief, her heart twisting painfully inside her chest. The only thing that met her cry was the slam of the door, and her arms fell limp as she felt her eyes itch, but she squeezed them shut until the feeling went away.

She felt a small weight on her shoulder and looked up to find Cupcake standing beside her. The larger girl offered a small smile, and Emma nodded more to herself than to Cupcake as she took a deep breath.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't believe Antonio." She said, and Emma smiled at her through the pain.

"Thanks, Cupcake." Emma muttered, her voice feeling scratchy from the emotion and yelling.

"I don't think Vanellope believes it either, but you know her. She yells a lot before she thinks, especially when she's mad or hurt. I'll talk to her and I'm sure she'll come around eventually." Cupcake continued trying to assure her, but Emma just sighed and hugged her arms to herself. "Maybe you should try talking to Margo, explain your side of the story."

"Did you see how angry they all were? Margo will never believe me." Emma said, still wondering if what just happened was actually real or not. A big part of her was hoping she'd wake up back at Hogwarts two weeks before the final challenge and this whole thing would end up being just a bad dream.

But the giant mushrooms in the corner were already burnt and oozing with black, oily decay. The ceiling was cracked and crumbling, the corruption dripping to the ground all around them. But Cupcake couldn't see it. None of them could. Only Emma.

"Don't give up. Things will turn out okay. Just try to stay out of trouble, and I'll talk to Vanellope." Cupcake said, giving Emma's shoulder a pat of comfort and then quietly heading towards the door.

Emma just watched her go.

* * *

The ball was starting in just a few minutes and everyone was hurrying on their way from the hotel to the square. Emma was in the room she shared with the other girls. Since none of them ever came back, Emma stayed there to try and follow Cupcake's advice of staying out of trouble.

She slipped her dress over her head, the silk feeling soft and smooth on her skin. It dropped into place, all flowy and blue. It reminded her of the ocean, and she was grateful for her mother's intuitiveness. The cascading shades of blue offered some calm and comfort while the world was falling apart all around her; both figuratively and literally.

She winced at the accuracy of that thought.

She turned away from the mirror after tying the bow at her waist and bent to pick up her shoes. They were a pair of strappy heels; small and a thin heel so there wasn't much weight on her feet. She slipped them on and took a moment to enjoy the extra three inches before trying to figure out how to tame her hair. After about ten minutes, she finely managed to pin up her wavy locks into a low, messy bun. She decided it was good enough and the strands on either side of her face would make it look like it was on purpose.

She took a steadying breath and then headed for the door, lagging behind the few stragglers that were still heading towards the ball. It wasn't a long walk, but she was really hoping to avoid anymore altercations.

_"Just try to stay out of trouble..."_

She sighed as Cupcake's words echoed in her ears. It felt like that was all anyone was ever telling her to do: stay out of trouble. But she'd already determined that was pretty much impossible for her. Maybe it was the promise she'd made, or maybe it was her own morbid curiosity. Whatever it was, Emma was more focused on how to fix the more serious problem of Pitch's attack rather than the drama that had unfolded because of a poor decision on her part.

Her hands fisted at her side again as she glared at the path she was walking along. How could she have been so stupid? It must have been what Cat was trying to warn her about, and, once again, he was right. She never should have trusted Antonio. The few hours she'd had to herself in that big room had her questioning what other mistakes she had made in all her naivety.

She looked up as she entered the viewing garden. A few people passed her line of sight, and the she saw him across the garden. Jim was scratching the back of his head, dressed in simple black wizards' dress robes, as he talked with Claire Nunez who looked absolutely perfect in her maroon and gold gown, her hair neatly placed with gentle curls. Jim looked nervous with her, and then Professor Varvatos came up beside them and gestured from them to come with him. Claire took Jim's arm, and he grinned brightly at her as they both trailed behind the Durmstrang Headmaster.

_"I think they've got a little more than friendship on their minds! Have you even considered that maybe they're just using you to win the tournament?"_

Emma's heart squeezed so tight in her chest, she felt like she couldn't breath for a second. Jim and Toby wouldn't do that... would they? They had been so kind to her. In truth, she'd only helped Jim with the tournament a couple of times. Maybe three times? The rest of the time they spent together was just them hanging out. Emma showed them around the castle and introduced them to the Joke shop in Hogsmeade. Jim and Toby often invited her to join them in visiting their Troll friends in the Forbidden Forest, which she had recommended to them so they wouldn't risk being stumbled upon in the garden by someone less understanding than her. She'd even come to consider Blinky, Draal, and AAARRRGGHH! her friends as well. Jim had even said that once the tournament was over, he'd take her to see Trollmarket. Toby had gotten excited and called her an Honorary Trollhunter...

But maybe it was all a lie. Maybe she really was just a naive, stupid girl. Maybe she was in over her head with this whole thing.

Someone bumped into her from behind, and, being lost in her own thoughts and completely unprepared, Emma stumbled forward but she managed to catch herself before falling over completely.

"Oops! Sorry about that! I was just trying to figure out this stupid -Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" Emma turned around, recognizing the voice instantly, but when Toby looked up and saw her his mouth fell open and he just stared.

"Uh, Toby? Are -are you okay?" She questioned, waving a hand in front of his face a little. He seemed to snap out of it then and he positively beamed at her.

"Emma! You look incredible! Someone cleans up really nice, don't they?" He wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a sly grin, and a laugh burst out of Emma before she could help it.

"Toby!" She chastised him jokingly, shaking her head at him with her hands on her hips.

"What? I'm just stating the obvious!" Toby told her before gesturing to his own outfit with a very displeased expression. "You and Jim look so cool! Meanwhile I look, and _smell_ , like my Nana!" Toby whined, and Emma wasn't sure how to make him feel better. His robes were really old, with lace and patterns and a heavy coat that more resembled a dress made out of carpeting.

"Ah, well, you know, it really isn't _that_ bad..." Emma tried to comfort him, but it sounded weak even in her own ears.

"Please, there's no saving this disaster! I only hope Darci doesn't mind..." Toby fidgeted with the lacy sleeve cuff as he glanced all around them to see if his date were there yet. Emma reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"If she does then she doesn't know what she's missing. You're a total catch, Toby! Don't let anyone tell you different." Emma smiled, and Toby's grin was so wide she could see his gums behind all of his braces and his eyes crinkled a little.

"Thanks, Emma. You're an amazing friend." Toby told her, and Emma's heart swelled inside of ribs that were currently trying to crush it. She was surprised when Toby held up his fist. "Trollhunters?" He smiled.

"Huh," Emma let out a sharp breath of surprise and she felt her chest expand a little, easing the tightness on her heart. "I've never even been on a Quest with you guys, how could I possibly be a Trollhunter?"

"Sometimes you just know." Toby shrugged. "Besides, anyone else totally would have ratted us out, but you didn't. You just kind of accepted us and then you helped us, too. We're kind of a weird group, and you're kind of weird too, so it just kind of works!" He was still holding out his fist expectantly, and the pressure in Emma's chest eased entirely as she smiled and lifted her own fist.

"Trollhunters, then. May we always be weird!" Emma said, and Toby laughed.

"Toby!" They both turned and saw Darci standing with a couple of Beauxbatons girls who were giggling behind their hands, but Darci was smiling and waving to Toby.

"Well, there's your date." Emma wiggled her eyebrows at Toby who blushed a little and Emma gave him a little push. "Go get 'er, tiger!"

"Okay, I'll catch you in there!" Toby called over his shoulder as he went to join Darci. The Beauxbatons girl took his offered arm and they made their way to the stairs that would take them down into the square.

Emma smiled, her heart feeling much more free. Maybe she had made a bad call with Antonio, but Jim and Toby have always been kind and honest with her. She had no reason to doubt them or their friendship.

She looked around and ended up catching the disapproving looks of Pippa and Riley. Both girls turned their noses up and walked off to the stairs after glaring at her, and Emma's shoulders felt heavy again. She took a few minutes to steady herself, ignoring the way slick, black oil oozed up from the cracks between the brick paths of the garden. Opening her eyes, Emma realized she was one of the few people who had not already made their way into the square. She went to the stairs, but as soon as she reached the first step she mentally kicked herself.

There was Jim and Claire, standing with the rest of the Champions, Eugene, and her brother. She hesitated, wondering if she should enter through the other side, but before she could act on what was probably a wiser decision, Jim's eyes lifted up and went wide as they locked onto her. Then Rapunzel looked up, and then Claire, and then they were all looking at her, and she forced out what she hoped was a small smile and not a grimace as she slowly walked down the steps, chanting to herself to _not trip_!

"You look great, Emma." Jack smiled at her, and Emma nodded in return. The mischievous wink he sent her way doing wonders to boost her confidence.

"Thanks, Jack." She ducked her head, tucking hair behind her ear. Jack always knew how to make her feel better, even without realizing he was doing it.

And boy, did she need it tonight! She felt like she was out at sea in the middle of a hurricane with how much emotional whiplash was happening. It was all really confusing.

"She looks better than great," Elsa said, smiling brightly at her. "You look beautiful."

"Yeah, she does." Emma glanced quickly over at Jim, wondering if she'd actually heard that or if she imagined it, but judging from Claire's raised eyebrow at him, Emma was going to guess it wasn't just her.

"Thank you. I'm going to go join the others. Good luck with the dance." Emma said, deciding it best to make a quick exit rather than linger any longer. She directed the last comment to Jim and his expression suddenly dropped with realization as he gulped. "You'll be fine!" Emma laughed over her shoulder as she started down the next set of stairs.

The square was beautifully decorated. The floor was the same white stone as the Temple of Light, glowing gently with any light that was cast onto it. There were small lanterns hung all around the square, filling the space with a warm light that was more prevalent than the soft glow of the moon or the stone floor. Colorful flowers were in bloom all over the place, large bouquets decorating the tables, and green ivy vines and leaves were grown along railings and around the edges of tables.

There were also large cracks on the ground, not cracks that stones would make but cracks as if on a mirror, and the praying mantises may have been battling wasps on the edges of the large, ornate vases if the tiny shouts and screams of battle were any indication.

The majority of people in attendance were also fond of the Spring theme, apparently, and were wearing colors that were rich and bright or warm and pastel. Very few cool colors could be spotted among the large crowd. Emma realized she probably stuck out a bit with her blue dress, but she was thankful that Jack and Elsa were also wearing blue.

She wandered through the crowd a bit, ending up near the snack table. She turned at the sound of trumpets blaring, announcing the arrival of the Champions and their dates for the evening. She watched the opening dance and part of her wanted to jump in and join, but she was too distracted by the thoughts racing around her head. She spotted Margo twirling by with Antonio, a big smile on her face.

Emma shook her head and turned away from the dance floor, looking at all of the bite-sized food laid out before her. She plucked a cauldron cake from a cake tower and picked at the wrapper. She started wondering why she was the one who was hated, and Antonio was given a free pass without question. If she were Margo, even if she believed his story, Emma would've at least been angry at his lame excuses for letting it happen.

The more she thought about it, the more angry she got. At Antonio, at Margo and the other girls, at Vanellope, at the Guardians, even at herself. She was mad at everyone.

She put her cauldron cake on the table and planted her hands on the pristine table cloth, her shoulders hunched as she glared at the cheese squares. Someone moved up to the table near the punch bowl and when Emma looked over who should she see but Antonio Perez himself. He was filling two little cups and hadn't noticed her yet.

Emma glanced behind her, spotting Margo quickly. She was a few yards away with her back to them and speaking with Pippa, Riley, and a Beauxbatons girl called Mary who came from the small town of Arcadia, according to Jim and Toby. Deciding that the crowds of people would be enough to obscure their vision, Emma stalked over to Antonio.

"We need to talk. _Now_." Emma hissed, clenching her teeth so hard her jaw hurt a little. She kept moving without waiting for his response and slipped out behind the staircase where there was a shadowed corner hidden behind the snack tables, decor, and a few small trees that were part of the Spring Temple's garden.

Antonio followed not far behind her, though he walked at a leisurely pace with his hands half-tucked into his pockets. He had a smirk on his face and looked at her from behind hooded eyelids, and it just made her all the more infuriated.

"You told Margo that I was _flirting_ with you," Emma stated more than questioned, but Antonio didn't have too much reaction to it. "I trusted you! You were supposed to share my research with the Aurors!" Emma blinked, drawing back as Antonio started laughing.

"Oh, you really are so naive." Antonio shook his head. "Did you really expect me to take your random little scribbles and conspiracy theories to some of the most important people in the Ministry's Investigative unit?"

"You said you wanted to help!" Emma argued, some of the fight leaving her as her heart twinged with his choice of words.

"And you believed that? You're as crazy as they say." Antonio snorted. "But I will say that some of your intel got me quite a bit of praise from my commanding officer, so I suppose I should thank you for that."

"You used my intel?" Emma demanded.

"Of course! Had to get some use out of all the hours you used to go on and on about 'Pitch Black attacking Hogwarts'." He quoted mockingly, waving his hands around his head.

"So, what? Helping me was just for getting a good laugh? What did you accomplish through all this?" Emma wanted to know, waving her arms out around her.

"Well, I knew you were smart. Weird, but smart. So I figured I'd get whatever useful information out of you. Margo getting jealous was an... added bonus." Antonio gave her a half-smile and wink that made her stomach churn with oil.

"Margo was worried you cheated, so you told her you did but it was my fault for tempting you." Emma growled.

"Close. I told her you were more... open. Didn't shy away from a touch or two. That week we spent together, well, nothing ever felt so right." Antonio reached out and smoothed a lock of her hair between his fingers. Emma slapped his hand away. Antonio pulled his hand back with a sigh. "Do you honestly expect to get anywhere in life trying to be an investigator? No one is ever going to respect a naive little girl like you. At least with me your information would be able to see the light of day. With Jamie or any other boy, you'll be a tame little housewife within a year."

"Do you even care that Margo and her friends hate me now? That half the kids in our year think I'm some kind of boyfriend stealer?" Emma asked him.

"It's a dog eats dog world out there." He shrugged. "Margo is a bit too 'good girl' for my taste. But if you were to keep giving me information, we could grow into quite the team." His eyes slid over her from the side.

"You mean I do all the work, and you get all the credit? Oh, and I'd have to be your girlfriend? Sounds pretty miserable if you ask me!" Emma spat.

"Maybe, but you'd have more freedom with me than with anyone else in the whole world." Antonio countered, and all of the fight drained from her as realization hit. "Face it, Emma. You're a girl. A Lady of high society. Your future is to become a wife. And you can try all you like, but Margo and the others are never going to believe you over me. And even the people who do believe you will have their doubts. It's only your word against mine." He moved in close, using a finger to lift her chin as he leaned in as if to kiss her. Emma shoved him hard on his chest and Antonio stumbled backwards but stayed up right.

"You are vile!" Emma glared at him, her heart pounding and her finger nails digging into her palms. "You disgust me!"

"Say whatever you want," Antonio waved her off, and then he gave her a twisted grin. "I'm still the guy who caught the crazy shrew."

Emma fists tightened even more as Antonio chuckled to himself, his eyes falling shut. In a blink, she drew her arm back and punched him in the nose. There was a loud and satisfying crack as blood spurted out, some of it getting on her fist. Antonio shouted as he fell backwards, his back hitting the ground pretty hard, but Emma wished he'd fallen on stone rather than the soft grass.

"You broke my nose!" Antonio cried out as he held his hands to his face. Blood had already stained the entire front of his shirt.

"Don't try catching something you can't control." Emma retorted, stomping passed him and back towards the ball. She was so angry her fists were shaking at her sides. Her eyes were swollen and burning with tears that wanted to bubble over, but she refused to let them fall. She would not give him the satisfaction.

Coming back into the light, Emma found the ball still in full swing with people dancing and chatting and having a grand old time. She saw her brother with Rapunzel and Merida in a group of their friends across the dance floor. She couldn't see Margo and her friends anymore, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

Then she spotted Jim. He was slow dancing with Claire at the edge of the dance. Off to the side, out of direct line of sight for most people. They were close and they were smiling at each other, getting closer and closer. And they kissed.

Emma's chest fell inward, forcing out a shuttered breath and her fists dropped open at her sides as a couple of the tears she'd been holding in fell. She didn't know why, but in that moment she felt very small and stupid. Her heart gave a painful twist and she was highly aware of the fact that Jim, Toby, and Claire were all a year older than her.

_"Oh, you really are so naive."_

She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away, hurrying towards the side exit across the room. She swiped at her eyes, forcing herself to keep it together for at least a little bit longer so she wouldn't make a complete fool of herself. Not that she hadn't already done that, but the last thing she wanted was a scene centered on her.

"Hey, Emma! Would a fair lady such as yourself care for a dance?" Toby appeared in front of her, extending his hand out to her with a bright and friendly smile, and it just made her heart squeeze tighter. Toby noticed. "Whoa, hey, are you okay?" His smile fell into a concerned frown, his brow knitting together in worry as his outstretched hand hesitantly flipped and reached out to her.

"Toby, I appreciate the offer, but I, uh, I really need to be alone right now." Emma sputtered out weakly as she stepped around him and continued towards the exit before he could say anything else. She pretended not to hear as he called after her.

She got to the exit and her pace increased with each step, building into a run, but she couldn't run fast enough with those stupid heels, so she reached down and yanked them off of her feet, letting them fall wherever they landed in the pathway. She raced barefoot out of the gardens of the Seasonal Temples and down the cobble stone streets of the city. She didn't know exactly where she was going and she didn't much care, she just needed to get away.

The oil that bubbled up from the cracks in the cobblestone was sticky and slick on her feet. She vaguely wondered, if she didn't get herself under control soon, if she would slip through.

She found herself bursting into the lobby of the hotel, the door swinging shut behind her as everything slowed. She saw the Prime Minister speaking to the hotel manager and Lady Tremaine across the room, but she was too far away to hear anything they were saying. There was no sound anyways, the only thing she could hear was a ringing in her ear as she watched the manager and lady walk off into another room, but Claude Frollo looked directly at her.

Emma locked eyes with the Prime Minister, her breath labored from her run, and his mouth turned up in a satisfied smile. He slowly turned away and started to follow after the other two adults.

Emma stumbled backwards and the whirled around, shoving the door open as she raced out into the street again. It was so bright outside she almost thought it was day time. She couldn't even see the other side of the street because the white light was so blinding, and yet the sky was completely black.

Pain shot through her head, and Emma groaned as she gripped handfuls of her hair in her fists. The light was getting brighter and brighter as the pain increased and she fell to her knees. And then she landed on her feet as if she'd jumped down from a step. The pain was nearly gone, but her surroundings were different and unfamiliar.

She walked out into what looked like a corridor of a dungeon, but the walls were tilted, making the archways smaller and awkward to walk through. There were lanterns on the walls and ceiling every few feet to guide her along the dark tunnel, but every direction was a dead-end except forward. So she walked quickly, anxiety rushing through her whole body as her mind spun.

She could see a red light glowing at the end of the hall and as she got closer, reaching the end of the brick path, she found an arched passageway that was distorted to look like a heart. She walked through without stopping, her heart racing as the stone walls became covered by wiggly, raw flesh that oozed and slithered. The ground squished under each of her steps because of the red liquid that soaked it.

She quickly found the end of the path to be another dead-end with an endless pit. There was a fleshy overlook sticking out of the ground and Emma stepped out onto it, peering down into the darkness. The whole earth began to shake as three, giant tentacles rose up from the depths of the pit, wiggling back and forth. Emma stepped back at the sight, but before she could turn back the overlook collapsed.

And then she was falling down into the depths of the raw, bloody pit.


	24. Pity Party

**Music:** "Pity Party" by Melanie Martinez

_NOTES: "She is certainly ill. She imagines odd things. And she has a 'hero complex': an inherent desire to help others, being unable to help herself, and a compulsion to make the world right. She's trying to 'unlock' the true meaning of her life. And she doesn't know who has the key."_

**Chapter 24: Pity Party**

Air rushed passed her as she fell into the sky, her hair whipping her face and the world spinning as she turned. The darkness disappeared with a bright flash and then she was surrounded by the endless blue expanse, a brown and barren landscape far below.

She righted herself and as she stretched out her arms she felt power surge outwards in an electrical wave across her body. Her blue gown and wild brown hair disappeared. Instead she found herself clothed in a red dress adorned with golden hearts and black gloves that reached passed her elbow. Her hair was black and shaped in a pristine bob that just brushed the bottom of her ears.

She floated down to the ground, finding herself in a crumbling kingdom. A once grand castle lay in ruin. The very bridge she stood on that had at one time led to the great entrance of the magnificent gardens spread out all around the palace, was now reduced to shambles, only a small piece of what it had been before. What still remained standing was covered in dead vines and the blue sky was blocked by a thick layer of dust. The most center tower of the castle, topped by a massive heart, had somehow stayed intact even after all this time.

"Back to admire your handiwork?" Emma looked up at a piece of bridge railing that hadn't collapsed as far. Cat sat there, looking down at her from his perch, and it seemed his grin had returned once again. "Returning to the scene of the crime."

"It had to be done, Cat, you said so yourself! 'You and this Red Queen cannot both survive. She is a cancer in your body. Excise her or perish.'" Emma quoted him precisely, her hands propped on her hips. She wasn't really in the mood for his smart remarks.

"Emotions cannot be controlled. Hearts are wild creatures, that's why our ribs are cages." Cat growled, his eyes glinting wickedly.

"She didn't treat you too well last time. Lost your head as I recall." Emma pointed out. She was pouting, she knew, but her mind was still a mess from the Ball. Not that it had been particularly clear before... Cat just shook his head slowly.

"She was completely deranged. You picked up her crown, but now you've put it down. You must speak to her: what's left of her, anyway." Cat waved a paw towards the castle and then vanished into small flickers of amber light. Not a moment after he was gone, the piece of bridge he'd been sitting on collapsed down into the dusty-covered depths of the canyon below.

Emma turned towards the castle and started along the path, leaping across the large gaps between each piece of bridge and occasionally using her magic to give her an extra boost. It didn't take her long to get into the beginning courtyards of the abandoned castle, but the whole place gave her the creeps. She could still hear the screams of war from the last time she was here... But that was then. Now the roses were dead, and all that was left in their place were the dead vines covered in sharp thorns.

Emma kept her guard up as she cautiously moved through the courtyards, peering around corners and glancing over her shoulder at every sound. She kept her Vorpal Blade drawn and at the ready. Her footsteps sounded loud in the quiet of the dead and empty pathways of stone and planter boxes filled with nothing but dirt.

She stepped into a more open space, spying a larger archway atop the ledge above her, but before she could turn towards the path that led up the ledge, the hairs on her arms raised. The ground began to crack and break a few feet in front of her, and then out of the ground burst a deformed Card Guard. This guard, though, was not as Emma remembered them. He snapped his twisted, broken, body back into place with awful cracking noises, the suit at the center of his body was missing, leaving a giant spade-shaped hole that Emma could see straight through. He was covered in dirt and dried blood, his face was little more than a skull.

The card roared at her, and Emma take time to dwell on the fact that he was already dead as she lunged forwards to kill him. When she sliced through his body it was not only blood that sprayed from the wound, but a mixture of blood and that damned oil that was tearing her mind apart.

More roars of battle alerted her to the fact that there were others closing in behind her, so Emma moved quickly, plunging her blade into the card's neck. It's head fell to the ground and, thankfully, it's body stumbled and then collapsed, unmoving.

Maybe they could survive without hearts, but their heads were another matter.

Emma snapped her head towards the other two cards that had appeared and welcomed the first one's attack with a block, before slipping up close and stabbing it in the side. It didn't react anymore than if it had been lightly pushed, and Emma's eyes went wide before she ducked to avoid it's swinging arm.

She yanked her blade free and swung up, managing to slice through it's neck half way. It's head flopped to the side, and it stumbled around awkwardly, but it was still alive and attacking her alongside the other one which had come up behind her.

Glancing over her shoulder, Emma estimated it's height as it raised it's arms. She used her magic to leap up and flip over the card as it swiped at the spot where she'd been standing. Now behind the bumbling undead, she gripped her blade and took it's head off in one clean strike. As the head bounced across the stone floor, Emma spotted the nearly-headless one continuously walking into a pole and glared at as she marched forward.

After she'd finished the fight, Emma turned back towards the path leading up to the ledge. The archway was blocked by vines tangled with the stone faces of the Chess Soldiers who had fallen during the war all those years ago.

Emma felt a pang in her chest as she looked at those terror-stricken and pain-ridden faces, trapped within the Red Queen's clutches even in their deaths.

"The Red Kingdom's in ruin, but they're no better off." Emma's throat felt tight, stuffed with cotton. She felt Cat appear behind her.

"Protective walls may impede you, but the walls most difficult to penetrate are those that surround our hearts." Cat informed her as she turned partially to look at him. His eyes had a distant look to them, seeing something that she could not. "I know as well as anyone that sacrifices must be made."

"Those who say so _usually_ mean they should be made by others." Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Cynicism is a disease! It can be cured. Cut them loose. They will show you the meaning of sacrifice." Cat nodded towards the pieces that remained of the soldiers and Emma turned towards them as he disappeared.

Her heart aching, Emma took her time in cutting through those vines, taking care not to let the remnants of the soldiers fall to the ground out of fear that they might shatter. She caught each one and laid them out side by side, and once her work was done, she stood before them silently and bowed her head for a long moment.

When she opened her eyes again, it was with a renewed anger at the injustice of life. She moved forward, leaving behind her fallen comrades as she walked deeper into the lair of the Red Queen, intent on facing her once again.

The large archway allowed her access to the first circle of the castle. She moved down a corridor and came to a set of double doors. She gave a push and they gave way just a little. She went in for a second time and managed to shove them open, revealing a small audience room with a dais topped with a cushioned throne. The dais, though, wasn't at the very back of the room, but more towards the center.

Emma knew why. In most castles this would be a place for the reigning monarchy to meet with their people and host audiences with people of lesser class. For the Red Queen, this room was used for nothing more than public humiliation and beheadings. The dais was built close to the center so that the beast could have a front row seat to whatever display she wanted.

Her fists clenched at her sides until they shook and she clenched her teeth together so tight that her jaw started to ache, but then there was a bright flash of light and suddenly she was sitting on that throne on the dais. The entire floor below the two steps of elevation was covered in blood. The room was tilting, this way and that, and she heard a ringing in her ears that left her hearing kind of fuzzy, but at the same time she could hear all of the noise loud and clear.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee, along with a sickly looking White Rabbit and a plucked dodo bird were all dancing around the throne, their legs splashing through the redness as they shouted and jeered. They were mocking her.

"Her royalest majesty of excellence and bravery!" The dodo bird squawked while laughing a full belly laugh.

"Stupid, stupid! Can't be smart when we're smarter than you!" Tweedle Dee cackled.

"Always running late, Emma! Maybe if you'd been on time, none of this would have happened!" The White Rabbit, despite looking direly sick, spoke as if he were drunk, thrilled by the death he danced in.

"Once and the same; the head and the tail!" Tweedle Dum remarked.

"NO!" Emma shouted as another flash brought her back to where she'd been standing. No blood, no Wonderlandians mocking her. Emma dropped to her hands and knees, breathing hard. There was a piece of broken mirror on the ground, showing her half of her face.

"A reflection sometimes exposes more reality than the object it echoes." Cat's voice cut through her dazed state, making her lift her head to look at him. He sat in front of her, his tail waving back and forth slowly, patiently. "Find the Queen. Ignore her pledge to decapitate intruders, only at your peril."

"If she's going to toy with my mind like that, I'd rather approach cautiously, thanks." Emma huffed back before taking a breath and climbing to her feet.

"It's impolite to keep Royalty waiting, but the price of good manners may be too high. This queen's a real Bitch." Cat said, looking at his claws on one of his paws.

"You can say that again." Emma muttered, as she dusted herself off a little. "But you're right. I can't afford to waste time here. That evil Train will be following us soon enough, no doubt, and I need answers before it catches up to us."

"At this rate, that particular battle is already lost." Cat rumbled and then vanished. Emma shot him a look and hurried towards the door, forcing herself not to react to the chill that ran up her spine as she looked at the throne on her way out the side exit.

The gardens were the largest part of the castle. Not even the main structure could match to sheer acres of shrubbery and twisting paths. The only entrance into the castle was through a giant maze, created to keep the front part of the grounds separate from the inner parts of the castle and the rest of the gardens stretching out on the sides and back.

Emma moved through the back of the courtyard, finding an edge that dropped down into sky and nothingness. Floating debris hung overhead, and just as she stepped up to peer down, the ground began to tremble. The tiny pebbles at her feet shook and jumped, and then she heard that terrible noise of a burning engine and the Train's piercing whistle.

The Train rushed passed her, angled slightly downward as it circled the castle. It left behind a trail of fiery smoke, staining the already brown sky, and Emma cursed, wishing she could see through the thick dust clouds and smoke to the barrier. She couldn't be sure how it was holding up with everything changing and decaying so quickly, but she had to admit it was probably the least of her worries at the moment.

Emma turned and raced along the outdoor picnic areas and gathering places. She had to find the Queen before the Train destroyed everything.

She remembered exactly how to get to the maze, though the path was much more... uneven than it had been. The large, open arch and tall, thick hedges hadn't changed much, except that instead of a deep green the shrubbery had died and turned to different shades of brown and black. It made the sharp thorns all the more noticeable.

Emma entered the maze without a moments hesitation, looking right and left for any undead guards before setting off to the left. She knew this maze too well for her own liking, but it would save her time.

She met two undead cards not far from the entrance and made quick work of them, their blood wetting her blade. A drop of the vital fluid was flicked onto her cheek, but she didn't stop to wipe it away. As the last of the two cards fell, Emma kept walking, moving closer and closer to the center of the castle.

But the further she went, the more cards appeared. She found herself engaging two of them, but just as she leaped backwards to avoid their attack, three more began to drag themselves out of the ground behind her. Emma glanced back and when she turned front again, one of the two was already on top of her, going for her throat.

Emma twisted her blade and managed to nick the card's arm before ducking under the other arm. One of the cards coming up from underground reached out and grabbed her ankle, though, causing Emma to fall forward, landing hard on her side.

She opened her eyes and another card was standing over her, swinging a spear straight at her head. Emma rolled out of the way, but the spear impaled ground only after slicing into her arm. Emma gritted her teeth and kept rolling until she hit her feet. She gave a shout and lunged at the card struggling with his spear, chopping his head off in one movement.

As he collapsed, Emma turned and saw at least half a dozen cards charging towards her with swinging arms or rusted spears. Among them were a couple of Ruins, and Emma felt her anger rushing back to her in full. Her grip on the Vorpal Blade tightened and she raced forward into battle, her cheeks burning and her upper lip curling into a snarl. She fought with a ferocity she hadn't felt in a long time, and she reveled in the feeling of her blade cutting down her enemies one by one.

Their claws and spears bit into her, drawing blood that splattered against the hedges or dripped to the ground. Blunt blows to the stomach or head hurt like hell, but they also made her angrier. For every one she cut down, it seemed, two would pop up in it's place, but she refused to stop moving forward. She kept pushing through the growing masses of cards and Ruins.

She finally burst into a large clearing near the center of the maze, her body littered with wounds and covered in blood that both was and wasn't her own. Emma's mind was shrieking with words from the real world, everything that weighed so heavy on her shoulders, and her body trembled with pain. Her vision was blurry around the edges, and slightly cracked like a mirror. She kept seeing images of people; a young Jack smiling brightly, Vanellope and Cupcake grinning at her in class, the Hatter in chains with her other friends, Antonio's triumphant expression at the ball, the storage room full of fish-people corpses, the Guardians pushing her aside, Wasps beating helpless innocents, Jim smiling at her... the throne. There was blood. So much blood...

Emma looked down at her hands, smeared with blood and dirt, littered with cuts and bruises. Her blade was sharp as ever, the fine metal glinting even under all of the red. She was shaking as she looked up and around very slowly. Undead cards surrounded her. Ruins were scattered among them, their blackness having a red tinge from bathing and feasting on the dead.

She couldn't hear clearly, it was as if someone had stuck cotton in her ears. The world was tilting back and forth again. She felt all of her anger boiling up in an uncontrollable rage that made her chest feel like it was going to squeeze in until her heart burst like a balloon. She squeezed her eyes shut, putting the foot of her palms into her ears to try and block out all of the voices, but it didn't help. She shook her head back and forth slowly, but something in her just... snapped.

She _Screamed_.

Throwing her arms down to her sides and stomping onto her front foot, an energy wave burst from her in a giant ring, knocking back all of the cards and Ruins that had started charging at her. Those closest to her received fatal injuries from the burst alone. Her vision became nothing but black, white, and red. Her dress turned completely white, stained with big splotches of blood. Instead of gloves, her hands and arms were covered in blood all the way up to her biceps. Her hair was long and black.

She rushed forward, blood streaming from her eyes and the corners of her mouth. She cut through her enemies, driven by pure rage and Hysteria. In the midst of the chaos, she lunged forward, passing side by side with Cat, and his voice rang clearly in her ears.

"How fine you look when dressed in rage. Your enemies are fortunate your condition is not permanent. You're lucky, too. Red eyes suit so few." Cat growled, his eyes glowing bright in the shadow of the hedges.

Emma didn't acknowledge him. She just kept fighting, finding satisfaction only in watching her opponents crumbling to the ground at her feet. At some point she became aware of red, fleshy tentacles wriggling their way out of the ground and waving around as though to try and stop her, but her blade slid right through them. She relished the shrieks that came with those particular slashes, and ignored the shouts for her to go away. To not come any closer.

The cards that had been surrounding her were now fallen and blood soaked the battlefield, but the exhaustion was catching up to her, and Emma felt it when all of the energy she'd released came rushing back. Her head flew back as she arched from the pressure, and in a flash she was returned to her red dress, short hair, and long gloves as she dropped to her knees, breathing hard.

Only one of the undead card soldiers remained, and he came charging at her with a growl and his spear raised. Emma glared at him and then shot forward, slicing through his neck in the blink of an eye. She didn't turn around to watch his head and body fall. She stood there panting, trying to slow her breathing and her confused mind.

She kept a tight grip on her blade as she started walking, her body numb and shaking from the effects of Hysteria. Walking through the last stretch of garden was a blur of dried up vines and thorns that warped into foot-long spikes within her tilting vision. Her thoughts were only on the Queen, though.

Her sight returned to mostly normal as she found the exit to the maze and entered the courtyards of the inner palace. She could hear the Queen, projected from an unknown source throughout the castle, yelling at her to go away. Along with other orders; Off with her head, and the like. Emma chose to ignore them and kept moving along the familiar path.

She eventually found the entrance she was looking for. A massive, square entry way that framed fleshy gums and a set of sharpened teeth. A set of stairs made of squishy, raw tissue. The same muscles and tendons made up the walls, wiggly tentacles sliding and pulsing as they weaved in between cracks and openings.

Cat appeared just beside the large stone frame, his glowing eyes piercing her with a sharp look. "You were once two bits of the same psyche. So where does that leave you?"

"I haven't got a clue." Emma said honestly, but she was more concerned about Cat in that moment. "What happened to your side?"

Cat's right side was covered in blood and there was a large hole revealing two of his ribs and the organs within them. Cat glanced at it before replying. "A simple injury. This world has it's own way of translating injuries from the other realm."

"Whatever is happening, I hope you're safe." Emma looked at him, wondering where he was and what he was doing, but Cat didn't offer any response.

As he disappeared, Emma turned to the stairs before her. They stretched so far down they were enveloped by endless darkness, an unknown destination hidden at the bottom. Of course, she remembered what she found there last time, but she wasn't quite sure what to expect this time around.

Shooing the thoughts away, Emma started forward, slowly descending the staircase into the deep blackness. Everything was red, thick veins bulging. The squelch of each of her footsteps was enough to make anyone's lip curl in disgust. She pressed onward, however, through the darkness, down the stairs, and across several landings.

When she finally crossed a small hallway between two stairs, she passed an archway to find a more narrow set of stairs with railings on both sides. At the bottom was a red glow that elicited more wariness than it did comfort, but she took satisfaction in knowing she was in the right place.

She walked down the stairs and found a giant cavern in which darkness stretched in every direction. There was a bridge of flesh leading straight from the staircase to the throne and pulsing red lamps on the ceiling offered minimal light. The slightly elevated throne was separated from the bridge by a short distance, leaving a bottomless drop between the end of the bridge and the throne.

Emma walked right up to the edge, locking eyes with the Queen.

"What's this? No Executioner to go for my head?" Emma inquired. "Quite welcoming of you. Though I can't say the same about your soldiers."

"You don't know your own mind!" The Queen leaned forward in her throne, glaring at her. The Queen's dress was similar colors to Emma's, but it was much more grand with long and lace-cuffed sleeves, a high white collar sticking up around the back of her head. Her hands were fleshy and huge with fingernails that were long and sharpened like claws. Instead of legs, her bottom half was fleshy tentacles; some of them moved and slithered around her, others connected her to her throne of Heart Flesh and, by extension, the rest of her palace.

The Queen also shared Emma's face.

"It's nearly a complete stranger." Emma actually agreed with the Queen as she put her hands on her hips.

"What you claim not to know is merely what you've denied. Those weren't even my forces that hindered you from forcing your way in here; simply your own mind trying to destroy you. My soldiers, brought back to life to die by your hand a second time!" The Queen snapped. "You once rejected my attempts to control our lives, forcefully. But now you've allowed another to succeed in my role!" She anguished.

"I won't miss your tentacles." Emma responded plainly.

"You'd prefer the hot, stinking breath and unyielding attention of a potent, unreasoning, unfeeling, hell-raiser? I don't think so!" She hissed, slamming her fist down on the arm of her throne.

"Can you give me more than a warning? Caterpillar said you might help." Emma asked, trying to get to the point of this visit.

"I'd need a better reason to respond than what's currently on offer." The Queen said.

"If you don't, we're all doomed." Emma replied.

"Not doomed. Forgotten. I may survive here, but you're finished." The Queen told her. There was a slight trembling as large tentacles weaved out from behind the throne, slowly approaching the end of the bridge where Emma stood. "You fear your own Madness, but now look at you: Falling to pieces. You see the pattern of destruction, I know you do. The Train is trying to destroy your mind and corrupt your magic. Now, who would want that? Who benefits from your madness?"

"The destruction of Wonderland, is the destruction of me." Emma muttered more to herself than to herself. Though that didn't make much sense, it worked in her head. The decay of Wonderland was simply a physical representation of Emma's deteriorating mind. Something was slowly killing her, but what? What was this poison?

"Indeed! And vice versa." The Queen affirmed her statement.

"I've set it in motion, I can derail it. This is good for me. I'm not insane. I am fine. I'm not mad, I'm innocent, I -I mean... Not guilty..." She rambled as those slimy tentacles grew closer, curling all around her, closing in on her. "What's happening? What are you doing?!" She cried as the tentacles wrapped around her whole body.

"The Train must be stopped. But there's more to do. Your view conceals a tragedy. The whole truth you claim to seek eludes you because you won't look at what's around you!" The Queen scolded, Emma felt her heart lurch in her chest as the tentacles picked her up and carried her towards the Queen. Or, more accurately, her mouth which unhinged and opened wide to reveal sharp and crooked teeth.

Emma squeezed her eyes shut as she was thrust into the darkness.

Slowly blinking her eyes open, Emma couldn't feel anything. It was like a dream. A Vision. She could see a blurry, vaguely heart-shaped thing in front of a red background, but she tell what it was because it was too blurry.

"There is no method in this madness!" The Queen's voice rang loud and clear in her ears. "Authority must be obeyed, or it must be overthrown!" Suddenly the image rushed forward and Emma could clearly see the Queen's face as a drawn cut-out picture and hear the battle cries from when they fought before. The drawing was slowly consumed by fire from below as blood oozed down from the top. As Emma's vision started to fade the shouts and screams echoed in her ears.

And then everything went black.


	25. What Shall We Die For?

**Music:** "What Shall We Die For?" from _Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End_

_NOTES!: "Sometimes the world is wrong. And this is one of those times. Because I know you've got something special inside you, kid. Don't let them tear you down."_

**Chapter 25: What Shall We Die For?**

His head ached with pulses in time with the loud beating of his heart, or was that Toothless's heart? He wasn't sure. He stayed still, laying on the small cot with an arm thrown over his eyes as he willed his body to stop hurting. He was so sore and achy he couldn't sleep, but he was also exhausted.

After sailing for all day and all night for three days, the Pirates and the residents of Tortuga finally arrived at a small island with a hidden storehouse. It was an emergency supply for just such an occasion, though the island was closer to a different sanctuary than it was to Tortuga because no one had ever considered Tortuga falling to be much of a probability.

It took them a few hours after arriving to get organized, and Talia had struggled a bit in trying to figure out what to do, but she managed to pull through with a plan that seemed to satisfy most people. They arranged for lesser pirates to take the residents of Tortuga to the other sanctuary, which meant they wouldn't be in the line of fire again if the Ministry pursued them immediately. The Pirate Lords and their crews set a guards schedule, trading shifts every few hours so that everyone could get some rest after such an unsettling experience.

Cat and the dragons hadn't bothered landing when they arrived, opting to scout immediately to ensure they hadn't been followed. When the first team of guards were set in the watch-towers, they finally landed and Cat ordered his flock to eat and rest. They would regroup when the Pirate Lords came together to gather their forces.

While the other dragons had gone off to hunt or sleep, Cat and Toothless had disappeared into the gathering of tents that had been put up while they were gone. Finding the main tents, he sought out the one that was most likely Talia's or Eret's and collapsed on the cot. The fight and then the long journey followed by a scouting mission had taken a serious toll and he was too tired to feel much else besides the pain.

He heard the rushing footsteps long before they reached the tent however, and when Talia burst through the flap, he was already bracing himself for the assault on his ears.

"Where have you been?!" She exclaimed, pulling his arm off his face to look him in the eye, but he kept them squeezed shut against the light. "Silver said he saw you come back over an hour ago and then you just walk off without even checking in?!"

"Calm down, lass. Cat can handle himself and the last few days haven't been easy." Eret entered the tent more slowly, his rumbling low in his chest as his eyes flicked from Talia, to Cat squinting at them both from his laid back position on the cot, and then back to Talia.

"Don't tell me to calm down! My stress is your fault for putting this all on me!" Talia snapped at Eret, crossing her arms over her chest as she shot him a glare. Her gaze softened when she turned back to Cat though. "You should've come to the front tents to check in. I was worried."

"I'm fine, Talia," Cat tried to force out as he pushed himself towards a sitting position, but pain shot up his right side and he curled forward with a groan, grabbing his side.

"Apparently not!" Talia retorted, sitting down beside him on the cot as Eret drew closer, concern washing over both their faces.

"Talia!" Cat yelped as she grabbed his wrist and held his arm up in the air, using her free hand to lift his shirt. Her sharp intake of breath told him there was no point struggling against any more.

"How did this happen?!" Talia demanded, her eyes fixating on his face as she pointed at the giant purply-black mark that covered almost his entire right side.

"It's nothing." He muttered, releasing a heavy breath as he realized he probably wouldn't be sleeping any time soon.

"Cat, you are _bleeding internally_." Talia told him, obviously not getting why he wasn't concerned about this.

"We need to get you to the infirmary tent. You need a medic!" Eret insisted, reaching for Cat's free arm, but he wave both of them away, cringing a bit in pain.

"Would you both stop!" He said without much heat. "It will heal on it's own... You know I heal faster than normal people." He muttered the last part, gingerly placing his foot and prosthetic on the ground as he sat up fully in the cot.

"Why didn't you say anything? When did this happen?" Talia questioned him, not looking any less distressed over the situation, but she couldn't deny that he was right about the healing thing.

"...I may have overdone it with the magic a bit. Back when I was fighting the Ministry ships at Tortuga." Cat admitted, finding no use in hiding it from them.

"Define 'overdid it'." Eret said. His tone left no room for argument, and Cat rolled his eyes a little at the parental vibes Eret was giving off.

"Just what I said. I used a lot of magic that night, and I used all my energy keeping it under control, so it burned me a little." Cat replied, giving a small shrug. "Toothless tried to get me out of there, and he's already lectured me for pushing myself too hard, but it was my choice. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."

"...You can't do that!" Talia shouted, launching to her feet after a moment of visible internal struggle. Cat and Eret were both surprised by her outburst and looked at her in bewilderment. "You can't keep throwing yourself into needless danger like that! You should've relied more on Toothless and the other dragons! You should have called for back up! What if something had happened to you? What if that turned out to be a lot worse? _What if we lost you?_ " She took a breath and turned away, her hands locking together at the back of her head.

"Talia...?" Cat started, but he didn't know what to say. Talia was a fighter, a swordswoman. She wasn't one to get emotional over battle injuries, even if they were possibly avoidable. When she dropped her arms and looked back at him, he noticed the bags under her eyes and the stressful pinch between her brows.

"We lost Tortuga." Talia said, the fight draining out of her to be replaced by heightened emotion of stress and fear. "One of the greatest Pirate fortresses in history is gone, and now we're struggling to pull ourselves together as we wait for the Ministry of Magic to appear on the horizon. And now everyone's counting on _me_... I'm a trainer; a supporter. I'm not meant to take the lead and be in the front. I can't be the Pirate King! I especially can't do this without both of you by my side. I rely on you guys."

"Talia, Tortuga's fall wasn't on you. It was already lost before the fight even started, and you made the right decision in making an immediate evacuation." Eret said, reaching in three long strides and placing both hands on her shoulders as just a few tears leaked out from the corners of her eyes. "This fight was coming no matter what decisions we made, most of the Pirate Lords have known that for a while now. And the reason I voted for you is because despite what you may think, I truly believe you can pull us through this war."

"What even gave you that idea? It was only a year ago that I was horrified at the idea of being a pirate at all!" Talia blurted out, swiping the dampness from her eyes. Eret paused for a long moment before releasing a long breath and looking Talia straight in the eye.

"Talia, you have a strong heart, and you're determined to always do what's right." Eret said, smiling down at her. "I've had the honor of watching you grow and learn that what's morally right isn't always the same as what's legally right. You're clever and tactical, and you have this uncanny ability to inspire people to be better. I didn't vote for you because I wanted a puppet or because I was trying to keep someone else from getting it, I voted for you because I believe that you can become the very best of us."

"He's right, you know." Cat interjected when he saw the hesitation on Talia's face. He slowly stood and moved closer as Eret smiled at him. "I think you could be a leader that people _want_ to follow. I already do." Cat smiled at Talia as she stared at him in surprise.

Cat looked back at Toothless as the Night Fury walked over to them. Cat reached into one of the larger saddle bags and pulled out a simple sword tucked inside it's sheath.

"Grimbeard's sword?" Talia recognized it immediately.

"I believe in you, too. I think you're going to be an amazing Captain, and every Great Pirate needs a good sword." Cat told her, holding the sword and sheath out to her with both hands. Talia just stared at it, her gaze darting back and forth between the sword and Cat's face. "You asked me to be your Champion when the time came." He reminded her.

"Do you really think I can do this?" She wanted to know, looking at both Cat and Eret for answers.

"Of course we do!" Eret assured her with an encouraging smile. "And we'll be fighting right by your side as we do it."

She hesitated, but a slow smile came to her face and the overwhelming stress was replaced with relief and gratitude. She placed a hand on the sword Cat held for her, and Eret put a hand on each of their shoulders as they all grinned at each other. Eret pulled them both in for a hug, and Talia laughed before pulling away.

"Together, then." She stated, finally taking the sword from Cat.

"Always." Eret nodded.

They both looked at Cat, and for a moment he said nothing, before he settled on one word; "Ohana."

Before they could say anything else, the tent flap was shoved aside again, flooding the space with light from outside as No-Name stood in the entrance with a hardened expression on his face.

"Captains, the scouts have returned." He said, his breathing a little ragged. "The Ministry fleet is within a days travel."

"They'll be slowed by their size and numbers, but it still doesn't give us much time." Eret muttered, his hands fisting at his sides.

"Gather the other Pirate Lords. We'll convene by the dock." She told No-Name who nodded and hurried off. Talia turned to Cat. "You stay here and rest. Get something to eat after you've slept. I need you ready to fight." She said, though she looked clearly uncomfortable with the idea.

"No, I'm coming with you. I'll be standing by your side when you face the other Pirate Lords." Cat said, refusing to accept any other course of action. He intended to take his role as her Champion seriously for as long as he could.

Within half an hour Talia, Eret, and Cat stood before all the Pirate Lords and their combined forces, as well as some of the smaller pirate crews who had decided to stay and fight alongside their new King. The sun had set and torches had been set up in a large circle to illuminate the clearing which was the only space big enough to accommodate all of them at the moment.

"The winds are at their side, and their numbers are slowing them down, but even still I wager they'll be here by dawn." The head scout said as he finished relaying the report of their mission.

"This is madness! They have an entire fleet of vessels!" Alvin growled, looking around at all the Lords before letting his gaze rest on Talia. "It's foolish to try and face them. They've at least ten more ships than us!"

"We have survived worse odds individually. Who's to say we won't succeed in abundance when we band together?" Esmeralda argued as her Sail-Maidens nodded in agreement.

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with her." Sinbad said, throwing a hand in Talia and Cat's general direction. "We survived Fort Sinister. So even though this is definitely within the top five worst ideas I've ever heard, I can't say I don't have some faith we could manage to pull this off."

"Captain Zarina says that they may have magic, but we have the dragons and their Master..." Zarina's first-mate interpreted for the fairy, and everyone looked over at Cat. He tilted his head at the title, a little surprised, but he didn't bother trying to correct them.

"Dragon Master or not, we're going to need a plan if we're going head to head with a Ministry fleet." Silver rumbled, rolling his shoulder where it connected with his prosthetic.

"Our plan of attack should be up to the King to decide." Captain Hook remarked, extending his arm towards Talia. She stepped forward, raising her chin high.

"We won't stand a chance if we're not ready when they get here. Prepare every vessel that floats. I want a report within the hour telling me how many ships we'll have in this fight and the man power aboard each one." Talia instructed firmly, looking around at all the gathered pirates. "At dawn, we fight."

"Aye!" The shout went up across the mass of gathered pirates, and many of them hurried to begin a night of hard work preparing for the Ministry's arrival. Talia let out a breath and her back relaxed a little before she turned to Cat.

"Go and get some rest. I need you at your best to lead the dragons." She told him, and he couldn't really argue with that, so he just nodded. "And if you happen to dream up some crazy, brilliant strategy that will get us all out of this alive, let me know." She added, only half joking, as she walked off to gather the other Pirate Lords to discuss their strategy.

Toothless leaned over his shoulder, pressing close to his back, and Cat reached his hand up to pat the dragon's nose. "Come on, bud." He murmured. "There's something I wanna do before we go back to bed."

* * *

Morning came with a heavy fog laying over the coast. All of their ships, twenty in total, were prepped for battle with the BlueBlazer positioned at the front of their makeshift fleet. Cat stood with Talia at the front of the ship, their eyes fixed on the horizon even though the lookouts had a better vantage point from the crows-nest. Eret stood back and the wheel, holding the ship steady as they all waited for any sign of enemy approach. It was eerily quiet, the only sounds being the creaking wood of the ships and the occasional flicks of the sails, the sloshing of waves against the boats.

"They're here." Cat whispered. He didn't move, and neither did Toothless, but he knew that Talia heard by the way her head dropped forward and she glared at the horizon.

"The Enemy Is Here!" The shout came from the ship next to them, and many of the lookouts began echoing the cry just as the first ship emerged from the wall of fog. Battle cries quickly followed as everyone eagerly awaited orders.

Cat and Talia kept their eyes on the horizon, though, as more and more ships became visible through the retreating mist. First there were about twenty ships and then the fog revealed thirty and forty, but as the sun rose higher into the sky and the day's warmth chased away the heavy blanket, the Pirate forces faced a fleet of more then fifty ships. The cheers of the Pirates slowly died as they realized the odds of the coming battle, staring directly at the Ministry's Armada.

"They must have called for reinforcements. There weren't that many at Tortuga." Cat gritted his teeth.

"It's not over." Talia muttered, looking up at the sails as the winds picked up.

"There's still a fight to be had." Cat agreed as Eret came over to join them.

"We have an armada against us." Eret said, looking first at Cat and then at Talia. "And between their numbers and their magic, there's no chance."

"There's only a Fool's chance." Talia agreed verbally, but her voice held no tone and she remained mostly unmoving as her gaze returned the ships positioned opposite of them.

"This is madness!" Alvin's voice carried from his own ship as he shouted out to them. "There's no fighting the Ministry of Magic! It's certainly not something I'm willing to die for!"

"And if we run? They'll only continue to hunt us down and kill us anyway!" Silver bellowed from his ship on their other side.

"Enough, both of you! Let the King decide!" Eret barked, effectively silencing both before looking at Talia who turned to him.

"They're right." She murmured, and Cat stepped forward, wanting to disagree and offer her some kind of encouragement, but she held out her hand to stop him. "Then what shall we die for?" She continued, her eyes locking onto the faces of each and every crew member standing before her.

"You will listen to me." She said, stalking forward into the crowd. She leaped up onto the ship railing, holding onto a rope to balance herself, and she shouted for the attention of all the ships. "Listen!" She turned back to the BlueBlazer crew, speaking to them directly. "The Brethren will still be looking here to us. To the BlueBlazer to lead. And what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No. No, they will see free men! And Freedom!" She called out, her gaze sweeping the crowd before locking with Cat's, but all he could do was look up to her in awe. "And what the enemy will see is the flash of our canons! They will hear the ring of our swords, and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs and the courage of our hearts! Gentlemen... Hoist the Colors."

"Hoist the Colors." Cat told No-Name, who looked at him, startled from his reverence before echoing in a louder cry. Cat only nodded to Talia as the shouts continued to grow, reaching the other ships as flag by flag, ship by ship, the colors were raised.

"The wind's on our side! That's all we need!" Ug cried out as men drew their swords and cheered.

"Eret, get to the helm!" Talia ordered, and the older Captain nodded as he dashed for the wheel. She turned and Cat raised his chin. "Cat..."

He smiled and raised his hand to his mouth. With a sharp whistle, his dragons appeared from the belly of the ship. Hookfang slithering along in the blink of an eye, and Stormfly jumping out right behind him as the others followed. Sharpshot flew out and went to his usual perch on Talia's shoulders as Cat swung into his saddle. Toothless shot up into the air and the other dragons followed along with echoing war cries of the Brethren.

The BlueBlazer started forward, gaining speed quickly as she cut through the water with the wind in her sails. Cat and the dragons rushed ahead and met the Ministry ships first. Shouts went out as the flew overhead, and arrows and canon balls were aimed at them. Toothless weaved and rolled out of the way easily from such a distance as they waited for their opening.

Meatlug flew in low and rammed into the side of a ship, knocking half way towards capsizing before it finally rocked back the other way. The crew was left scrambling just to stay on their feet, and Toothless dove with a piercing shriek as Cat pressed his left palm against Toothless's forehead, sharing his strength.

The blast put a hole in the deck, but didn't strike the hull. With a burning ship, but still afloat, the crew continued to scramble as the dragons made their escape to higher altitudes.

 _"You can't hold back! This is War! If we let them live our pack-mates will die!"_ Toothless rebuked him as they leveled out high above.

 _"And what happens if I can't stop?"_ Cat retorted, his stomach twisting. He knew Toothless was right, but not being able to kill is what brought him to where he was today. _"I won't be like them. I won't be what they believe I am."_

 _"Then let me take this burden. I'll take more time to ready my fire, and you hold our defense."_ Toothless told him gently, offering some understanding despite their extreme circumstances.

Before a second opening could present itself, the BlueBlazer and the Ministry's lead ship met side-by-side and canon fire rang through the air. Shouts and yells echoed across the waters as men swung on ropes onto the opposing ship, drawing their swords and attacking without mercy.

The Hammerhead sailed passed the locked ships to find their own portion of the fight, and the other ships were close behind. More and More Ministry ships drove forward, though. Soon the Pirates were being attacked from both sides in a fight that was more than two to one. Cat sent the dragons after as many ships as possible, evening the odds a bit by giving one dragon for one ship.

Smoke and gunpowder filled the air as canons fired endlessly. Cat and Toothless angled between Silver's ship and a Ministry ship, blasting the side to take out more than half of the canons. With that ship left vulnerable to Silver's attacks, they directed their attention to the next ship.

Arrows, canons, and fire shot through the air. Screams, shouts, and booms bounced off the ocean surface. The ringing of swords and echoing of splintering wood reached even Cat's ears while he was up in the air.

Cat tried hard to block it all out and focus on his own actions. Focus on protecting his comrades. It became easier when he realized they had their own problem as a large group of Ministry soldiers came flying towards them on broomsticks. Some of them held wands, but most brandished swords and other physical weapons.

Cat angled the tailfin, and Toothless spiraled into a dive straight down. The flyers followed, slowly surrounding them from behind, but then Toothless snapped out his wings and Cat snapped his heel back. All of the flyers shot passed them because of the unexpected stop and flew straight into the ocean at high speeds.

 _"Look out!"_ Stormfly squawked as she shot passed, and Toothless dipped to one side to avoid a bola that came at them from behind.

"There, Toothless!" Cat pointed at a Ministry ship poised next the Jolly Roger. Ministry sailors were grabbing hold of ropes, preparing to board as Captain Hook and his crew mirrored the same actions.

Toothless growled started towards them. As a dozen men from each ship jumped, swinging across the divide on ropes, Toothless and Cat flew through the middle. Toothless bit down on as many ropes as he could in the short window of time, and managed to drop five of the opposing men into the ocean. The last one nearly made it aboard the Jolly Roger, but just barely missed by his legs hitting the side of the ship and then his whole body tumbling down into the water as he screamed.

As one, they spun up into the air, looking down at the battlefield. Every one of the pirate ships was filled with people fighting with swords and daggers and the occasional pike or boarding axe. There were ships on both sides firing canons and shooting crossbows. There were still several Ministry ships holding their position, not yet entering the fight, but whether or not they would even need to was still uncertain. The pirates fought bravely, their swords skills matching and besting that of the Ministry soldiers at every turn, but the sheer numbers were overwhelming. Swords cut through flesh and stabbed through bodies, canons blasted through ships and crushed bones, and Magic but them at a disadvantage. The Ministry could disarm a pirate from the length of nearly half a ship, and other spells could leave people stunned or immobile. Other spells were far deadlier.

Cat wasn't sure where to go, or who to help first. The BlueBlazer fared decently enough with Talia at the lead, but even they were struggling against so many Wizard Soldiers, let alone those with little to no experience in fighting the magically inclined.

A loud screech made Cat's head snap around to the Ministry ships that were still keeping their distance from the fight. Hookfang flailed and struggled against massive chains that had been shot from two of the ships, tying him up and slowly dragging him closer and closer to the deck.

Cat looked back and forth from the pirates to Hookfang, his heart bounding in his chest. He could feel his blood pulsing through his veins, his magic burning under his skin. His ears were filled with the sounds of screams and flesh tearing and blood splattering...

_"HICCUP!"_

"What?!" Cat shook himself, suddenly aware of Toothless looking back at him.

 _"What do you want to do?"_ The Night Fury questioned, his gaze shifting across the battlefield, seeing everything Cat was seeing.

He hesitated, and his heart felt like it was trying to leap out of his throat, but he grabbed his chest and took a breath to steady himself.

 _"We have to get Hookfang. Loop around behind the Ministry ships and blast the chains."_ Cat said, hoping the small blind spot in their fleet would give the dragons enough time to get away.

Toothless flipped backwards and angled himself around the fleet as Cat told him. As they approached, Cat made note that these two ships seemed to be the only ones outfitted with these strange harpoon-like launcher with chains. A new toy of the Prime Minister's, no doubt. With that thought, Cat also made note of where the Minister's lead ship was near the back of the fleet.

His lip curling into a scowl, Cat turned forward and rested his left hand on Toothless's forehead, letting their power combine as Toothless charged his blast. Once they were close, Toothless blasted the chains, his fire exploding on impact and creating a large puff of smoke.

They flew passed, but Hookfang still struggled against tight chains, and as the smoke cleared Cat saw that the blast hadn't done any damage to the chains at all.

"What?" Cat felt his breath rush from his lungs in shock and a little fear. If the Minister had discovered some kind of magic to use against dragons...

"A gift from my own friends in these Northern wastelands." The Prime Minister's voice carried from the top deck of his grand vessel. He held his wand to his throat, amplifying his own voice. "Quite impressive ingenuity these Dragon Hunters have... For a group of Muggles."

"Grrah!" Cat snarled at the satisfied look on the old man's face, but then he looked down at the problem itself. _"Dragon-proof chains, huh? Well, a chain is only as good as it's winch. Let's go around again, Bud, and blast the winches!"_ Cat urged, and Toothless snorted in determination.

They circled again, Cat always keeping the Prime Minister within his peripherals, and this time when the lined up for the shot, they aimed slightly lower. Cat pushed his magic towards Toothless this time around and the power felt like it was crackling along their scales like electricity.

This time, they shot four separate blasts in quick succession, blasting the winches into splintered pieces and leaving gaping holes in the deck of the ship. Toothless roared triumphantly as he angled upward, catching up with Hookfang who now easily shrugged off the loosened chains.

Without stopping, the two dragons started back towards the battlefield, but Cat released his prosthetic from where it connected to Toothless's tailfin, engaging the new locking mechanism so he would glide on his own. Toothless's head snapped to the side, his eye going wide and his pupil thinning as he met Cat's eye.

 _"I'm Sorry."_ Cat whispered, the words coming out on a shuttered breath.

He used the magic that usually connected them to create a burst of energy between them. The sonic boom shoved Toothless, and even Hookfang, back towards the pirate ships, sending them toppling into the ocean on the more friendly side of the battlefield. Cat went the other way.

The fall was fast, wind roaring in his ears.

He managed to catch the main mast and some of the ropes there to somewhat balance himself before gravity continued shoving him face first towards the ship's deck. He assumed it didn't look as clumsy as he felt because when he rolled into a deep crouch, he found himself completely surrounded by armed and terrified looking men. He kept his body low, looking up from below his brows and eyelashes to glare at his new position.

Prime Minister Claude Frollo walked forward calmly, the soldiers parting for him with nervous glances between him and Cat. Like they weren't sure who was more dangerous.

"What a surprising turn of events." Frollo spoke clearly, conversationally. "Have you come to accept my offer?"

Cat slowly eased back off of his hands and rose to his feet, standing across from the Prime Minister. His skin crawled just looking at the man. "If I go with you, you'll leave? You won't hurt anyone of the Brethren Court or the dragons?"

The Prime Minister held Cat's gaze, and without breaking eye contact, he spoke to the man beside him. "Signal all of our ships to retreat. This Brethren Court is of no concern to us."

"As you wish, your magnificence." The soldier ducked into a bow as he backed away and then hurried to signal the ships.

"Satisfied?" Frollo asked, and Cat slowly forced himself to relax from his defensive stance.

"I won't fight you." Cat muttered as he watched the white flare shoot into the sky. The noises from the battlefield shifted from those of fighting to those of soldiers shouting and ships moving. The Brethren Court would be left in peace, and Talia and Eret would look after his flock. That's what mattered.

"Excellent." The Prime Minister smiled, and then a shadow fell across his face as his mouth fell into a frown. "Restrain him!" He commanded, thrusting a long, bony finger towards Cat.

He didn't fight as the soldiers closed in. One of them forced him to the ground, pressing his face into the wood deck and yanking his arms behind his back as they clamped shackles onto his wrists and ankles. He only panicked when he saw one soldier step forward with a syringe, but when he tried to jerk away, a rough hand grabbed his hair and yanked so his neck was exposed.

His breathing was hard and his instincts were screaming at him to _Fight_ , to _Fly_ , to _Do Something_. The number of soldiers holding him down prevented any movement, though, and he'd given his word he wouldn't fight. He wouldn't use his magic.

As the needle pressed into his neck, Frollo and a man wearing a captain's uniform came forward to stand over him. Cat's vision was quickly blurring, his hearing muffled, but as he began to drift off, the Prime Minister spoke to the sailor.

"Send the rest of the fleet back to the Allied Kingdoms, and set a course for Azkaban..."

The Prime Minister's voice grew more and more distant until Cat couldn't fight the creeping darkness anymore, and he passed out.


	26. Azkaban

_NOTES: "You think you're Lost, but you're not Lost on your own. You are not Alone."_

**Chapter 26: Azkaban**

The night was dark. The moon and stars were covered by thick clouds that left the world blanketed in shadows. The ocean was like a churning, black mirror, and the BlueBlazer sat anchored beside a small cargo ship.

Toothless looked around at their open surroundings from the bow spit, confirming they were alone and that the cargo ship had no hidden guards. He snorted and whirled around with a flick of his tail. He moved silently into the captain's quarters where Talia and Eret stood over a quivering man tied up in a chair.

"The Thorn is the fastest cargo ship in the entire Ministry! So fast that it isn't listed among the ranked navy vessels because it's primary use is as a ghost ship. For clandestine operations. You expect me to believe that _you_ , the Captain of said ship, doesn't know where Frollo takes his prisoners? His most secretive hostages?" Talia demanded, her face only inches from the mans. His face was red from his earlier screaming and he was sweating profusely, but Toothless wasn't sure he would break.

"I swear, I don't know anything about the Dragon Boy!" The sailor shouted back, and Talia straightened as Toothless fixed his gaze on the man.

Then again, what did Toothless know about humans?

"We never said anything about a Dragon Boy." Eret muttered darkly from his leaned back position in the corner, sharpening his sword.

Toothless growled and stalked forward, rising up onto his back legs to loom over Talia's shoulder, muzzle wrinkled in a snarl as he glared down at the pathetic human whelp below him. The sailor squirmed and whimpered but couldn't escape the bonds keeping him in the chair.

"Tell us where they took Cat!" Talia shouted, pulling out a dagger from her belt and pressing the tip into the man's throat. " _Now!_ "

Toothless added a growl to help with the emphasis.

"I keep telling you: I don't know anything! Look, all they said was that they had the Dragon Boy and the Prime Minister was taking him to one of his secure facilities! That's all I know! The Prime Minister uses private channels for his facilities. They can't be traced back to him, even if someone managed to find them in the first place! The ships, the routes, the crews; everything is covered in protective spells, invisibility spells! No one can find it! Anyone who does is _brought_ there. And they don't come out." The sailor blurted out as a bead of sweat rolled down one temple, his eyes shifting nervously between Talia and her knife and Toothless. As if he couldn't decide which one he'd rather be facing right now. Toothless drew up higher, baring all of his teeth, and felt a rush of satisfaction as all of the color drained from the man's face.

It was no longer a question.

"Where do they disappear? How does Frollo find these private ships?" Talia pressed.

"I don't know!" The sailor enunciated each word, and with time slowly going by, Toothless was started to get impatient. He dropped to all fours, raised his haunches, and lit some fire in his throat. The piercing whistle, though fainter than his usual, full-fledged attack, was enough to slap a look of terror across the mans face and he writhed against the ropes holding him to the chair. "Okay! Okay! I know there's a fortress somewhere in the ocean between the Archipelago and the Allied Kingdoms! It's more West, off of the usual channels most people would take, and that's everything I know, I swear that's all! Please, just get that monster away from me!"

Talia retracted her knife and straightened up, nodding to Eret, and they both turned to leave the room. Toothless paused for a moment, giving one last growl at the man before following the two pirates.

"Do you think we can trust this?" Talia asked without looking back at Eret. Her eyes focused on No-Name and Ug waiting near by on the deck, and she gave her head a nod back towards the Captain's quarters. The two immediately moved passed Toothless and into the room, no doubt to throw the sailor back onto his own ship.

"Do we have much choice? It's already been a week. What have we got to lose?" Eret replied, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared out at the dark horizon.

"We'll find him." Talia said, looking up at him. "And we'll get him back."

"I know. But I just hope we can manage it sooner rather than later." Eret expressed, his face softening with worry as he looked down to meet her gaze.

"That makes two of us." Talia replied.

There weren't anymore words as Eret pulled her into a hug. Toothless watched the exchange and huffed a heavy, tired breath. He wandered over to the side of the ship, putting his front paws up on the railing as he looked out at the night.

He felt... _Lost_ and... _Empty_. His heart was aching, and he hadn't slept much since the battle. He looked back at his tail, lifting the offensive contraption that his boy had used to protect his life over saving his own. Toothless squeezed his eyes shut, his heart giving a particularly painful lurch at that thought. _He_ was supposed to protect _him_. Not the other way around. It made him wonder if maybe he should have let his boy build a fully-functioning tail that would allow him to fly alone. At least then he could search on his own.

 _"Where are you?"_ Toothless crooned, looking out at the endless night. He reached out, but he couldn't _Feel_ him. Couldn't sense him.

* * *

His vision was blurred by pain and semi-unconsciousness. His arms were twisted at awkward angles as the two guards dragged him along the corridors, his whole body limp. His leg and prosthetic dragged across the metal floors, the metal-on-metal causing a loud scraping sound.

_His body flinched violently as the whip cracked across his back. He yanked to one side at the pain, nearly dislocating his shoulder because his wrists were chained to poles on either side of him..._

He didn't know where he was, but it was cold and dark. He didn't know how long he'd been there. There was no way of telling the passage of time, and even if he could, he wasn't sure how often or for how long his blackouts occurred. He only knew that everything was made of stone or metal. It was hard. The walls groaned, chains clinked, and cage doors slammed.

_Needles pressed into his neck... His arms... His legs... Adding, taking, hurting. Thick straps cut into his body; his wrists, his ankles, across his shoulders, and around his neck... He tensed and writhed..._

"It's this one." One of them growled, and he lifted his head to try and see what they were talking about. Through the fog and tunnel, he saw bars. He heard the clanking of keys and the squeal as the door swung open.

_Spells seared his skin, potions burned against his insides. They grabbed the back of his neck and plugged his nose, forcing him to drink or drown. Wands jabbed at his neck, scorching his flesh. They brought darkness... Blackness... Sand..._

"Get in there!" The other one grabbed him and threw him. The feeling of falling caused his stomach to twist and bile to rise up in his throat. That's how he got here. He fell...

_There were chains. Too many chains! He screamed and cried, pulling against the chains that coiled around his body, locking his wrist and ankles. It only brought more chains, tying his arms and legs, wrapping around his neck. He snarled at them, and something yanked on his hair as more forced metal down on his head. A gag... A muzzle..._

He hit the floor hard and bounced. He rolled over twice and didn't move once he'd stopped. He couldn't. The twisting, tilting bars slammed shut and the lock slid into place with an echoing clang...

_They painted his neck with cursed ink. Ink that was birthed from dark magic and sand. It was a power that wasn't their own, and it stained his skin. Echoing chants cluttered and stuffed his ears as that wretched liquid boiled and seared his neck. He screamed as the collar tightened, choking him. Suffocating him..._

He jolted against the metal floor as the cage gate squealed. Multiple, blurry figures came in. Circling him. The last one shut the gate behind them. _The lions were fanning out from each other as they got closer to him, circling and enclosing him_. He forced his arms to push him up into a crouch, but his head spun with jeers and laughter. He fell back and his head banged against the wall, - _Hiccup lunged to the side, avoiding the deadly curse that was reflected off the mirror by the bathroom door_ , but they drew closer still.

"They say he's the one the Prime Minister's been looking for." One grinned down at him.

"The little wild monster, eh?" Another snickered.

He used the wall behind him to struggle to his feet, but one of them came at him and a fist jammed into his stomach, making him double over and gag. - _He curled inward on himself on the floor as they kicked him over and over_.- Another yanked him upright by his hair so a third could punch his face. _Daren spat, then pulled his fist back, and punched Hiccup right in the face_. A fourth and fifth grabbed his arms and held him as the rest continued to beat him.

 _"Now, now, behave little pet." Pitch smiled at him mockingly. "That is what you are now, isn't it? All that talk about freedom and never going back to another cage! Now look at you..."_ Pitch's voice echoed in his ears as a sixth grabbed him from behind so the other two could have their fun.

_"To them you are nothing but a beast, a monster, to be either tamed or destroyed at any cost."_

His breathing was ragged. He was lying in a puddle of his own blood. He felt something pulling him by his tattered shirt. He groaned weakly.

"Be quiet, or they'll hear you." The voice was a quiet hiss close to his head, but it sounded muffled and distant to him.

Something cold like ice pressed against one of his injuries, soothing and easing the pain. He tried to turn his head to see who was helping him, but his vision was blurry. _He could just make out pale skin... White hair..._ "-ack!" He tried to speak. "You shouldn't... Shouldn't be here..." He struggled to form the words around his broken ribs and fat lip. He tried to push himself up, but a firm hand on his shoulder pushed him back down.

"Rest." The voice ordered. "You'll need your strength."

* * *

Hiccup started awake to the shrill ringing of a bell. His neck hurt and he hissed as he reached a hand up to it. The clank of the lock on his cage door told him it was being unlocked, but he didn't look up. He was to distracted by all the different pains throughout his body.

"Get up!" A guard growled, kicking his side. Hiccup flinched away, but slowly stood as he winced and bit his lip to keep from whimpering in front of the guard. "It's recess, brat, and the Prime Minister wants you out on the playground!" The guard sneered with a sickening grin and shoved him towards the opening.

Hiccup was lead along the rows and rows of cells and down a set of stairs, eventually coming to a set of heavily-guarded double doors. Even through the thick fog the outside light was blinding, and he had to blink a dozen times before he could see properly. He was in a giant, stone square with tall, tall walls and guards stationed at every ten feet. The big empty yard was only filled by people. Prisoners. There were all sorts of shapes and sizes among them, but one thing they all had in common were the scarred and hardened faces that turned toward him when the guard gave him a final shove into the yard.

Hiccup straightened, eying the scowling prisoners warily as he limped a few times before he forced his body to ignore the pain and walk normally. The doors slammed shut and locked behind him, and he glanced back at them for a moment before turning to look toward the crowd again. A very, very large man was stomping his way toward Hiccup, who could sense _Aggression_ and _Intimidation_ rolling off of the man in waves. He was trying to assert his dominance, but Hiccup's lip curled back in an instinctive warning growl. Something about the man's scent made Hiccup think Half-Giant.

"You must be the _Thing_ they keep talkin' about." The man rumbled, looking down at Hiccup's Left hand. He followed the giant's gaze, staring blankly. He hadn't realized it was exposed. A shot to the shoulder made Hiccup stumble back a few steps as the giant advanced. "The guards' been tellin' us you the Prime Minister's _Pet_. You're even smaller than they said, though. You're small like a little bitch." The giant grinned. More men were gathering around, circling them as they grinned, whistled, and called out mockingly. "You the Prime Minister's bitch?" The giant asked.

"Walk. Away." Hiccup told him, voice low and quiet. His whole body was vibrating. He knew the sharpness of his vision meant his pupils had lengthened to vertical slits and the white of his eyes were hidden by bright green.

He wasn't feeling very _Human_.

The giant shoved him again. "Just cause you the Prime Minister's _Pet_ don't mean you can give orders." The giant said, chest expanding as he loomed over Hiccup. "See, we don't like the Prime Minister much. He the reason we're here in the first place. So we gonna get back at him by fucking up his hoe. You a hoe, _Pet_?"

Hiccup thought that he glimpsed white hair coming towards him out of the corner of his eye, but he brushed it off as another hallucination and kept his focus on the giant. The man grabbed his shoulder, but Hiccup grabbed his arm and twisted in the blink of an eye. There was a loud _POP!_ and the giant screamed. Hiccup ignored his cry and smashed his arm between his knee and elbow, snapping the thick arm that was nearly half his entire size. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as the giant dropped, and he whirled around, slamming his fist into the face of the man rushing him from behind.

Two more started running at him from the side. Hiccup ducked under the first one's grab to grip the throat of the second one. He use the second man to swing around and slam his foot and prosthetic into the first guy's chest. That guy landed on his back, winded, and Hiccup used his grip on the second guy's throat to yank him down and then knock him out by dropping his elbow onto the back of his neck.

"What the hell?!" Someone shouted. Some were starting to coward, other looked ready to fight.

"Enough!" The command was met with silence as all the men turned toward the source.

Hiccup's eyes snapped in the direction everyone was looking, a growl sitting at the back of his throat, but what he saw made him freeze. The man walking towards him through the crowd was obviously respected, even if grudgingly so, because the prisoners parted to allow him through and keeping their distance. Several others lingered close behind the man as he came to stop just a few feet in front of Hiccup.

"He's obviously stronger than he looks." The man barked at the crowds, looking around at all of them. "Leave him be, before you start something that the guards feel the need to finish." That bit of common sense seemed to work as those that were still conscious began to slither away. None of them tried to help their beaten and groaning prison-mates, who were still on the ground where Hiccup had left them.

Hiccup, though, was frozen. Entirely focused on the man in front of him. A man he'd only ever heard legends and stories of. Had only ever seen in pictures. His pure white hair was almost waist-length and tied into a low ponytail. His features were youthful, but his blue eyes held a wisdom that came only from experience.

"You fight well for someone so young." He said, finally meeting Hiccup's gaze with his own. "But losing your temper here could get you into some serious trouble later on... Come over this way." The man, waved his arm for Hiccup to follow as he turned back the way he had come.

Hiccup hesitated for a moment, but then his feet started moving of their own accord. He looked ahead to where the man was leading him and saw the group that were lingering near him during the whole event. Hiccup recognized them almost immediately.

Five of them were the legendary wizards of the Kingdom of Altea; The Paladins of the Voltron Squadron. Five wizards chosen by the ancient Lions to be protectors of the Kingdom and it's Royal family. A new team had been chosen within the recent years, about the time of Hiccup's first year at Hogwarts. Among them also stood a large, rock-golem with a straight back and lifted chin; the proud stance of a trained soldier. He was Mr. Arrow, the Auror who had investigated the escape of the dragons at Hogwarts. Presumably he never figured out that it had been Hiccup who'd freed them.

"You'll find that most people here are a little more than rough around the edges." The man continued, casting Hiccup a friendly smile.

"That's an understatement." A tall brunette remarked. He looked young. Maybe a few years older than Hiccup.

"We do our best to maintain our civility in spite of our circumstance." Mr. Arrow grumbled, giving a pointed look to Hiccup and then to the groaning men he left behind. Hiccup made a note of the sharpness in Mr. Arrow's eyes.

"That was quite a display." A tall and muscular man with a white streak in his hair said before nodding at Hiccup. "Don't let Arrow intimidate you, he'd friendlier once you get to know him. I'm Shiro. This is Lance," He gestured to the tall brunette from before. "That's Keith, Hunk, and Pidge." He pointed out a short, dark hair boy who stood next to Lance, then a larger boy with dark hair and a friendly face, and then a very short girl with reddish hair and glasses, though Hiccup was only able to tell she was a girl because of her scent.

"I think the more interesting question would be; who are you?" The girl said, adjusting her glasses as she looked at him curiously.

"You're right." Hiccup nodded to her. "I know who you are. It's a bit hard not to."

"So does that mean you're gonna give us a name?" The dark-haired one, Keith, demanded, his arms crossed as he glared at Hiccup calculatingly. His gaze lingered on Hiccup's left hand.

"Don't suppose it does." Hiccup responded, keeping his voice purposefully bland, but he did give a little glare back.

"Ignore Keith, he's always cranky." Lance broke in between them, smirking down at both of them. "I'm surprised you're even standing, considering how you looked yesterday."

Hiccup tilted his head at that and then looked at the first man again, still shaken by the sense of familiarity he got from the man. "It was you." Hiccup stated, staring at him. "You're the one who iced my injuries... I thought it was a dream."

"It's proven a useful talent here." The man shrugged. "I may not be able to heal completely, but I can at least help my friends a little with what magic I can do without my staff."

"Why help me though? You seem awfully interested considering you've never met me." Hiccup questioned, lifting an eyebrow at the blue-eyed man, who chuckled in response.

"I guess you could say I have a soft spot for kids... Forgive me for assuming, but you look very young." He was clever in his wording. It was a way to draw answers without actually asking any questions. No doubt a skill picked up from the Auror Department.

"I'm sixteen." Hiccup informed him, though he threw a look to let the older man know that he knew what he was doing. "My name is Cat." Hiccup pointedly ignored Mr. Arrow's stern gaze, and the Auror didn't say anything.

"You're just a kid!" The large, friendly one who went by Hunk said. "How did you end up in a place like this?"

"You're one to talk. What are you? Two minutes older?" Hiccup quipped back lightly. It had been a long time sense he last felt _comfortable_ among a group of wizards. But he grew serious and quiet as he realized there really was no harm in telling them anything. Not so long as they were trapped in this prison. "They're not entirely wrong. The Prime Minister took an interest in me. He promised not to hurt my friends if I went willingly..." His eyes dropped to the ground as he thought back to those final moments of Falling...

A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see the same blue-eyes looking at him.

"A noble effort, but trusting the Prime Minister has only brought you here." Mr. Arrow pointed out, though his stern expression had softened some.

"Believe me; I'm well aware of where it's gotten me. But at least my friends are safe." Hiccup replied, meeting Mr. Arrow's gaze for the first time and holding it for a long moment. A twinge of pain around his neck made him wince and reach up, rubbing his throat, but the girl, Pidge, grabbed his arm and pulled his hand away.

"Careful. You don't want to take any risks with the Prime Minister's experiments like that." She said, peering at his neck as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup asked, letting his hand fall back to his side.

"Oh, sorry, I guess you can't see it..." Pidge stumbled awkwardly as her hands waved about her head a bit.

"Here." The blue-eyed man knelt down and touched the ground with one fingertip. A small patch of ice spread out around his finger, smooth and shiny. Hiccup moved over and looked at his reflection in the small ice patch.

There were black rune-like markings on his neck. A single, horizontal line, like a tattooed collar. The markings were slightly raised and the surrounding skin was red from irritation. There was also a very faint purple glow coming off of the runes.

"They were glowing more when you were fighting. Do you feel them?" Pidge asked as he twisted his head back and forth to look at the offending marks.

"My neck hurts like Hel, but I had no idea about these." Hiccup admitted, noting his bright green eyes with almost no white and the slight point to his canine teeth. His hair was messier than usual, too, and he only had the stained, brown shirt and pants that made up the prison uniform.

"This place is hidden from the rest of the world. It's a place where the Prime Minister, and those who operate under him in secret, can do whatever they please. Azkaban isn't just a prison, Cat, it's an experimentation ward." Shiro explained as they all stayed back, allowing him some space. The blue-eyed man crouched in front of him, but Hiccup kept his eyes on his reflection.

"This is no place for a kid, but as long as you're here, we'll do our best to help." He promised, his expression earnest.

"But why? You don't know me... I don't even know your name." Hiccup finally lifted his head, and though the statement wasn't entirely true, the sentiment was. The blue-eyed man just smiled.

"You asked why I would help you; the answer is that you're the same age that my son would be now. Also; I may be in prison, but I'm still a Guardian, sworn to protect all children in the world." His mouth lifted into a half-grin as he shared the last part, and Hiccup felt a bit of hope at the fact that Azkaban hadn't broken him even after all this time.

The man stood and offered his hand to Hiccup, who accepted it only after a brief hesitation. They stood, and instead of dropping his hand, the man lifted it and dropped it on top of Hiccup's head, ruffling his hair.

"As for my name; it's Percy. Percy Frost."


	27. Dollhouse

**Music:** "Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez

_NOTES!: "I'm being murdered by my own mind!"_

**Chapter 27: Dollhouse**

There was a thick fog all around her. She couldn't see more than five feet in front of her except for the occasional, dimly and eerily glowing lamp-posts that she knew lined the cobbled streets of the Moor. The ground was stone but also with a layer of packed dirt on top. She passed two benches underneath the first of the lamp-posts.

 _"Am I asking too much?"_ The echos of a man's voice that she couldn't recognized reverberated in her mind and through the air. _"I want what_ She _wanted."_

She kept running. She kept following those dim and flickering lamp lights through the endless fog and darkness. She moved from one patch of light to the next. She didn't know why, but her heart was racing. She felt rushed. Like there was something urgent that she was forgetting about.

She slowed to a walk and her eyes widened as she saw the silhouette of a child crawling on the ground, barely lit by the overhead lamp. She slowly approached the child, her stomach rolling as she saw the trail of blood let behind him and the fact that the lower half of his body was gone.

"Help, Emma! We need your help! Don't desert us... Again. Don't ignore us!" The poor thing cried, using his arms to drag himself through the dirt.

"Why do you suffer? The Queen's tyranny is just a memory. She has no power over you, does she?" Emma inquired, kneeling down in front of the dying boy.

"Our enemies come and go, but now a new evil reigns. And this fiend's malevolence has eclipsed the conquered Queen's." The boy told her, his face stained with blood and bruises. He reached toward her, but his strength began to fail him, and Emma watched as the light faded completely from his eyes just before he collapsed to the ground.

Emma pushed herself up onto her feet, looking down at the corpse silently in the flickering light of the lamp.

Her heart squeezed, but she just felt numb. Her fists clenched at her sides and she gritted her teeth, but it was all out of the hate she felt towards herself for not feeling _something_... She felt _nothing_.

A different kind of flickering caught her attention, and Emma looked up to see the sinister glow of flames behind billowing smoke. The air became thick with heat and black clouds, the roar of a fire filled her ears. Emma started forward, walking towards the fire, getting faster and faster until she was sprinting towards it.

She skidded to a stop, looking up at a house being consumed by fire. The house looked like her home in Diagon Alley, the bottom shop windows blown out from the heat, the curtains in the upper windows being eaten away to nothing more than ashes. She could hear distant and faded voices echoing from inside; screaming and shouting, gasping for breath. Emma walked up the stoop and into the blazing fire as a bright white light consumed her vision and all of the noise grew until it was indistinguishable garble.

She blinked, finding herself somewhere completely new. Gone was the burning house and endless blackness, replaced by packed together life-size dollhouses and platforms with patch-work fabric for carpet. Crude stitches and rough wood made up everything here, and dirt and decay made it look even worse. An Isle of Misfit Horrors, perhaps?

Emma's own appearance had changed again, her hair golden blonde and tied into two ponytails on either side of her head. Her dress was made of multiple different fabrics and different patterns and textures, a crisp collar at the neck and big pink bow on her waist. Her heavy boots on her feet and a spots of blood on the lacy apron.

She stood on a floating platform of rough and stained carpeted wood. Looking around, she found herself surrounding by towering, crumbling houses. To her right she sees a balcony and one of the doors is falling off it's hinges, allowing entrance to the building, so she takes a running leap and rides her breath to the other side, her feet hitting the wooden terrace with a solid 'thunk'.

She slipped through the broken double doors and made her way across a very old toy room that was falling to pieces. The wood creaked under every footstep as she made her way through the upper hallway, finding a stairwell at the end of it. She jumped to the landings of the stairs rather than risking the questionable looking steps, and once her feet found the bottom she found a dining room before her, the kitchen just off to the right.

The table was set for four, but the glasses were cracked and the plates broken. Blood puddled and smeared across the top of the table. A giant cleaver knife was stuck in the wood at the center.

Emma shoved away the sick feeling in her stomach and looked to the left, finding a gaping hole in the wall of what was left of the living room. She climbed up the pile of rubble and found herself outside in a yard surrounded by crudely made barricades with wooden pikes sticking out of them. The dirt was blood-stained and puddles of decay bubbled here and there, but none of them produced any creatures eager to destroy, so Emma looked ahead to the most fortified of all the buildings.

It was smaller than the rest, but the double doors were huge and, from what Emma could see, multiple locks and latches had been added to them along with more barricades and barred windows. There was a tattered banner that hung above the door, but the letters were clumsily written, several of them were backwards. Still, Emma could understand what it was trying to say; "Fort Resistance".

The big, green doors opened as Emma reached the bottom of the steps and several tiny figures walked out to meet her. But even after everything she'd seen, she was not prepared for the sight of these children.

Mutilated and deformed, they were all covered with dried blood and patchwork stitching. One of them wore a straight jacket, unable to move his arms, and his mouth was sewn shut. Another was trapped inside a strange metal contraption that Emma wasn't sure what it was for, but it wouldn't let him move his head from it's forward position. A third child's brain was exposed; the upper half of his skull missing and the drilling tool still stuck in his head.

The fourth one, who appeared to be their leader, had her eyes sewn open and her mouth sewn into a forced smile. A giant cut ran across her forehead, but there were more stitches keeping it shut. She held a teddy bear with a missing arm and stained in blood that was likely her own.

They trembled as they moved, looking every which way as if they expected something to jump out at them at any moment. Emma waited patiently at the bottom of the steps, not wanting to scare them, though she did move a little closer when the children stopped walking and looked at her curiously.

"The unstable are more than merely mad. They have other parts. The Dollmaker will deprive them of what remains of their deranged souls. They need care." The leader said, her eyes still shifting around, but always finding their way back to Emma as she spoke to her.

"I know their pain." Emma murmured, her heart aching, but she forced her voice to be louder. "I would assist. But is sanity required for the job?"

"A limited quantity. You're not mad enough to be rejected." She responded immediately, her eyes looking Emma up and down before rolling around in thought as her free arm tapped her chin. "You're like them... Of them, in a way. But not them. I should say not "us". For I'm them, but you are on your way. The way is clearly marked."

"I... Believe I know that way. And I'd rather not travel further along it." Emma replied slowly, fighting a shiver that was trying to make it's way down her spine.

A shriek echoed through the air, and the children jumped before shaking with fear.

"It's here, you dimwits! Get inside!" The leader shouted, pointing off in the distance before she and the other children ran inside. At the other side of the yard, a giant doll girl, with no eyes and wielding dual blades, burst through the barricade. She let out another shriek and toddled through the yard.

Emma didn't follow the children inside and instead turned to face the demented toy-child as the green doors slammed shut behind her. The seven-foot toddler reached the foot of the stairs as Emma started running down to meet her, and the doll used one of her long blades to swipe at Emma.

She jumped over the sword, landing at the bottom of the steps next to the doll's foot, and Emma swiped across the doll's leg, a clear cut with her Vorpal blade. On any flesh-and-blood creature, it would have taken the limb clean off, but with this porcelain monstrosity, her blade merely scratched the rock-solid calf with a loud clang.

Emma's eyes widened, and in the next second her eyes snapped up to see the doll raising her sword. Emma threw herself into a roll just as the sword came down above her. She managed to put a few feet of distance between them and the doll's sword got stuck in the ground. The doll, angered by her toy being stuck, shrieked and then focused all her energy on trying to get her sword free from the earth.

Emma planted her feet in the earth and pushed herself forward, racing to take advantage of the opening left to her. While the doll was focused on her sword, Emma leaped onto the doll's back and drove her blade into the joint of her shoulder, wiggling it into the crack. With her blade set, Emma set her feet and pulled back with all of her weight and all of her might. The doll shrieked as her arm started to come loose from it's socket, and she started flailing, trying to get Emma off of her, but the Emma held tight and shifted her weight to keep wrenching the two pieces apart.

With an echoing clang, the arm finally popped loose and Emma fell backwards, landing in the dirt on her back as the doll screamed, it's arm laying limp in the filthy dirt. Emma lay on her back, panting, but she was also smirking, happy that she'd managed to do some damage. The smirk fell, though, when the doll glared down at her with it's eyeless sockets.

With another scream the doll swung it's good arm, intent on cutting Emma in half with it's sword. Emma rolled backwards over her head, planting her feet on the ground and leaping backwards before she was even fully up right. The doll kept advancing, swinging it's one arm wildly as it sobbed and shrieked. Emma kept dodging, moving further and further back.

A hollow 'thump' made Emma look down to find she'd stepped onto wooden planks. She tilted her head, confused, but a shriek made her look up and jump back from a particularly violent swing from the doll. Her sword swung forward and broke through the wooden planks, leaving her with no leverage and the doll started to fall forward, losing it's balance.

Emma watched as the doll crashed onto the planks of rotted would, breaking all of them with it's weight and falling down into a pit with a final shriek before it was consumed by the darkness.

Emma stood on the edge of the pit on top of what was left of the splintered planks. Her back was pressed against the wall of one of the surrounding buildings and there was no distinct path out of her current situation.

It was just as she realized this that the wood she was standing on cracked and then broke away completely, dropping Emma into the pit. She screamed as she was suddenly plummeting into deep, deep darkness...

Emma groaned as she pushed herself up off of the rough, wooden floor. She rubbed the knot forming on her head and looked around to find herself surrounded by the shattered pieces of the porcelain doll, the sword stuck in the ground just in front of her, reflecting her image off of it's flat and slightly rusted surface.

Emma climbed to her feet and looked at her new surroundings. It was darker and resembled some kind of twisted dollhouse, labyrinth-type basement with traps and defenses that would kill her in an instant if she made a single misstep.

"Be careful, Emma. A person often meets his Destiny on the road he took to Avoid It. Believe me, I would know." Cat flickered into being just a little off to the side, and Emma turned to him.

"I've never avoided anything... Not on purpose!" Emma replied, climbing up to her feet and dusting off the colored patchwork of her skirt. "I've been doing everything I can to find the truth!"

"Threats, promises, and good intentions don't amount to action." Cat said, his tail swaying back and forth. "You've come far, but you're still standing in the same place. Saving Wonderland means saving yourself."

"Where do I go then? The Red Queen said I'm not looking at what's around me, so what am I missing?" Emma asked.

"Only a few find the way, some don't recognize it when they do, and some don't ever want to." Cat told her, fading away and leaving his grin as the last thing she saw.

"Why must he always speak in riddles?" Emma muttered to herself before huffing and turning to look at the deep, dark place she'd found herself in.

The floor and walls were all made of the same dark-grey, rough wood. From her fall alone, Emma could feel the scratches, and possibly a few splinters, all up her right side. There was an eerie, indirect light that didn't seem to come from any specific source, which was possibly the reason it was so dim, but Emma decided not to question it's existance as it saved her from stumbling through complete darkness. There's only one hallway, so the direction she'll inevitably be going is obvious, but the wall on the far side of the room catches her eye first, and she walks over cautiously to take a look.

The wall is covered with scraps of newspaper clippings and photos and scribbled notes. All of the pieces seemed to be pinned to the wall randomly, but standing a few feet away, Emma could clearly see that the black ink on each parchment played a part in creating a familiar, dark silhouette. The shadow profile of Pitch Black sent a chill down her spine, and Emma questioned if possibly she'd developed some sort of obsession, considering this mural was so deep within her subconscious, but the thoughts were pushed away in favor of inspecting the strange art piece more.

Each of the pieces to this particular puzzle were bits and pieces of information she'd gathered on Pitch, or things she had assumed to be connected to him. It mostly consisted of recent events with a few references back to the times just before the Dark Ages which she used to highlight warning signs of a coming conflict. Her eyes drifted to the clawed hands of the figure that manipulated a dark splotch. Emma peered closer and found the newspaper clippings were about specific attacks on villages where the evidence wasn't entirely clear as to what happened and also instances involving dragons.

Emma determined the blob was made of things she'd initially considered related to Pitch but could never quite figure out how it fit in with everything else she knew. At the center of that blob was a pin with one end of a red string tied to it. The string looked similar to the colored yarns Auror's used on pin boards to map out their cases.

Emma followed the string. It was long and pinned to the wall in several places, but Emma kept following it all the way to the one corridor's entrance. She saw that the string stretched along the hallway and disappeared into darkness, so she drew her blade and kept following it.

Rusted nails stuck crudely out of the wall at every point the yarn was pinned down, and the rouch wood became splattered with dry blood. Small smears of oil made Emma's guard rise as her eyes carefully examined each new space she entered. Finally she came across a room with large glass tanks filled with preserving liquid similar to what Ms. Carver would use for her potions ingredients. Only these tanks didn't hold potion pieces, they held bodies. Emma spotted one of the Fish people from the deep, a goblin from Hatter's domain, but the most prominent specimen were the children of the Toy Village.

Emma tried not to look too closely, lest she get sick, and focused on the red string. The blood soaked string.

An empty wall wedged between two foggy tanks was plastered with moving images that Emma recognized as snapshots from her memories. Most of them had to do with her classes this year, Lady Tremaine's in particular, and also the few times she'd crossed paths with Claude Frollo. A few of her homework assignments were pinned to the wall, too. Emma noticed they were the ones she'd taken exception to and had questioned or argued against them, so Lady Tremaine gave her bad grades or outright punished her.

Pain shot through her head and Emma groaned as she curled in on herself, grabbing her head. Images flashed across her vision, memories and moments she had seen before, as voices echoed loudly in her ears.

 _"Every child has a purpose: it is the beholden duty of knowing adults to fit every young person to her calling."_ Lady Tremaine's voice lectured, the image of her looming over Emma with a satisfied look as the young girl was sitting in her seat in class.

 _"The proofs are legion! Every creature has a purpose. It is my sacred duty to fit every young person to a calling, be it for ornament or use."_ The Prime Minister's voice was profound as he spoke before reporters from various newspapers, the Guardians standing near with carefully blank expressions.

Emma snapped up straight as the images disappeared and the pain faded. She stumbled back a little, looking up at the wall as her heart raced and her mind tried to work through the jumbled mess. Why was this connected to Pitch? What was it that she wasn't seeing?

Emma looked back to the red string, where it zig-zagged through the information before her and then stretched straight across the room to the wall on the opposite side. Emma followed it, ducking under the string to the other side of it and stepping up to the other wall.

This wall was similar; captured moments of her life and some newspaper clippings. There were moments between her and her peers at school, mostly other kids at Hogwarts, like that time she was in the candy shop in Hogsmeade with Pippa and her friends. Or her fight with Vanellope. Or Jim and Claire kissing at the Ball. The newspaper clippings, front page headlines, had to do with marriages of important figure-heads, the new classes at Hogwarts, and stories of distant adventures by people like Humongous the Hotshot Hero, who were so far from being even related to an establishment like Hogwarts that people could fantasize all they like without the danger.

At the center of it all was a scarlet 'A', painted on the wall with blood. A mirror hung in the center of that 'A' and Emma saw herself in it.

The sick feeling started to come despite her avoiding looking too closely at the tanks, and she felt her eyes burn as she finally looked up at the cracked, foggy glass of the preservation cases that created two long rows down the length of the quite large room. Watery graves is all they were.

Her head flashed with pain again, and another voice echoed in her ears as images of her hands scrubbing the floors of the Kitchen and Great Hall flickered through her eyes. _"Remaking children. Build them up, tear them down. Refashion them; teach them the new, forget the old."_

Emma shook her head, trying to clear it as all of her research over the past school year came rushing back to her all at once. It was a hurricane in her mind; all the things she'd seen, all the things she knew, and yet she'd completely neglected what it all meant.

With dread and anguish rising up in her veins, she looked on to where the string was leading her. It bounced back and forth across the room, leading to another corridor that turned a corner to the right. Emma ducked under the string a couple of times, walking down the center aisle, surrounded by encased corpses.

Turning the corner, Emma found even squares on the walls and floors where spikes protruded from the wood. She carefully made her way around the deadly points, taking note of the porcelain baby heads piled in the far corner as she entered a new, larger room.

The oily sludge puddled and oozed here, leaking down the walls and through the cracks. The largest puddle bubbled and burst as three Insidious Ruins clawed and climbed their way out of the corruption, shrieking through the porcelain doll heads they had that were beginning to make more sense to Emma.

She lunged forward, meeting the Ruins as they charged towards her. Her blade bit into the slimy, sticky figure of the first as she ducked under the attack of the second one. She yanked her sword free and slashed at the first one's back until she got through the self-healing sludge and managed to slice the back of the head in half, killing it. The other two charged and Emma jumped out of the way, causing them to crash into each other and fall to the ground. Emma leaped at the opportunity and made short work of her opponents, their bodies melting into puddles at her feet when she was done.

She looked back at the string, ignoring the way her chest ached. She had to know. So she pushed herself towards the next wall. This one was surrounded by the oozing pollution, and Emma was surprised to find the cases that had been separated from Pitch earlier among many others. There were multiple cases of villages that were wiped out or burned to the ground, and the only evidence found was some black sand, but nothing else. None of Pitch's usual calling cards were left behind. Then there were the Dragon incidents like the one Mr. Arrow had gone to investigate last year but never returned. Emma had also discovered a few other mentions of similar, uncharacteristic Dragon Attacks, one of them occurring in Altea, a distant kingdom on a different continent. Apparently their Paladins of Voltron had been in charge of the investigation. All that had happened a few months before Mr. Arrow's case.

Emma's eyes scanned all of the pieces pinned to this wall and then her gaze locked onto the string again. She followed it, leaning more forward as her feet started running. She ran along the path that the string led her down. The corruption and pollution grew thicker, greater. Blood stained the spots in between and mixed with the black sludge. She splashed through a puddle of oil as she came to yet another room.

This one had glass tanks similar to the ones she'd seen before, but they weren't filled with liquid and chains and shackles hung from the walls and laid on the floor. They were viewing cages. Even with them being empty, Emma felt the contents of her stomach rolling as she imagined the exposure and humiliation. Like an auction pedestal.

The string led her to a viewing cage with the front glass pane shattered into a million pieces across the wooden floor. On the ground inside the cage were scattered files and papers and newspaper clippings.

They missing peoples cases. More specifically; Dragon related disappearances.

Off to one of the far corners was Hiccup's case file, stabbed through the center with a knife and spotted with blood. Emma winced and groaned as pain burst through her head again and images of the boy's bathroom and then Pitch Black's wicked grin and glinting eyes, along with Hiccup's voice.

_"I'm no toy. He wanted me to do things I didn't want to do."_

The larger pile consisted mainly of three major cases; Mr. Arrow's investigation in Gabylonia last year. Then there were the Paladins of Voltron disappearances after going to look into a string of dragon attacks along their coastlines, an occurrence that surprised everyone as dragons hadn't occupied Altean Land in hundreds of years, even long before they were chased from the Allied Kingdoms and into the Far North.

Emma's eyes went to the last case, easily the largest of them all. A newspaper stuck out from behind the case information with a headline; 'Auror and Guardian Percy Frost Disappears After Investigating Mysterious Dragon Sighting In Kingdom of Corona! The Question Remains: Pitch Black or Drago Bludvist?'.

There were several other cases as well, smaller ones with names and faces Emma didn't know, but it didn't really matter because she couldn't take her eyes off of that center one. Her heart pounded in her chest and ears, and her breathing sounded loud.

_"Perhaps you would do better to join your friends at the feast. A young lady's social life is very important. It would be a shame for such a pretty face to waste away in some Dark, Rotted corner." The Prime Minister spoke slowly, clearly._

Emma took a step back, her hands trembling. Pitch didn't have anything to do with those dragon incidents, and she was starting to think she knew who was... But why? What did he have to gain from all of this?

Emma stumbled out of the cage, forcing her lungs to expand with air as her eyes searched for the other end of the string. The red was still easy to spot against the dark wood, even with all the sludge and pollution covering everything in it's filth. Emma made her feet follow, though they felt as though they were made of lead, she had come too far to give up now. She was so close to the truth.

The string guided her to another hallway, but this one was dark. Complete blackness that seemed to stretch on and on the further she went, but she good see a dim light at the end of it. A flickering, red and orange light. She started going faster and faster, trying to escape the darkness, until she was fully sprinting towards that eerie light. She felt as though hands were reaching out of the darkness to grab at her clothes, hair, and limbs, anything to slow her. To catch her. So she kept running. Her breathing coming in ragged gasps as she raced for that blood-colored light.

She reached out, and her hand suddenly hit the wood of a door. The light was fire that was burning behind the window on the top half of the door. Emma stood there, staring at it for a long moment as she just tried to catch her breath, nothing else quite registering in her whirling mind.

Very, very, slowly, Emma reached out her hand and grabbed the doorknob. She turned it and opened the door, stepping into the fire...

_...There was nothing but fire all around her as drawn figures, with choppy and awkward moved about. She saw a man with a shadowed face sneak away with a satisfied smile as screams echoed and Pitch's silhouette grew, blocking her view of the man._

_"Pitch never had anything to do with those dragon incidents." Emma thought to herself, and her vision rushed passed the scene before her to look on at an image of Lady Tremaine cornering her brother and his friends in her office. "They blamed it on Pitch because of the evidence of Dark Magic, but why should that immediately make him the first lead? The Ministry has made it clear they're not afraid to use Dark Magic if it suits their purposes, and if they can, why can't others?... Still, I think there's someone hoping to gain something really big from all this..."_

_Her view turned sharply to the right, and Emma found herself face-to-face with Cat's drawn image._

_"This game is a treacherous one, Emma. Do not trust the Prime Minister." Cat had told her, what now felt like so long ago._

_As the fire, and everything in it, began to dim into darkness, Emma could hear one last echoing voice. It was her mother's voice, rebuking, but sharp only with worry and care._

_"You're not a cat, my dear. One life is your allotment! Please be more careful with the carving knife!"..._

Emma stepped calmly out of another door, finding herself back in a familiar place near the center of the Toy Village. She could see the roof and the banner above the door for Fort Resistance, and she decided to go back there and inquire about this Dollmaker the tortured children had mentioned.

The sight that greeted her was sickening.

The leader girl, whom she had spoken to upon first arriving, lay dead on the door step in a pool of her own blood and her eyes gouged out. The doors to the fort were broken and splintered, barely hanging on to their hinges, and as Emma stepped into the house, she quickly found all of the other children too. Not one of them was still breathing.

In fact the only thing that was alive in the fort, were the monsters Emma guessed were responsible for this destruction and murder. The Ruins of varying shapes and sizes turned towards her and shrieked. Emma screamed back, and clashed into battle with the filthy beasts that had invaded her mindscape and destroyed such innocence.

There were two smaller Ruins that were about Emma's size, and then a giant one with a big, hulking arm. Emma's sword caught in the first one, dragging through it's body. The second one lashed out, it's sharp claws biting into her shoulder, and Emma burst into a thousand fluttering pieces to dash forward, away from the two, but the larger one was waiting.

The giant arm, bulging with veins of oil, grabbed Emma's whole body in it's one hand. Emma shouted and pushed against the hand with the arm that didn't get pinned to her side. The beast didn't even notice as it swung her back and forth, rattling her teeth and brains. The monster paused a moment and roared in her face before throwing her across the bottom floor of the dollhouse.

Emma crashed through the living room wall and landed on top of the kitchen table, which broke into pieces upon impact. Emma rolled as the two little ones charged at her, and her hand grabbed the first thing it touched and she swung. She smashed a plate across the porcelain face of the first Ruin and leaped back to avoid the attack of the second. She willed the Vorpal blade to reconfigure in her hand, and with a puff of smoke it did just that. Emma lunged forward, driving her knife right into one of the Ruin's eyes.

The creature shrieked, falling to the ground as Emma shoved it down, her blade cutting through it's face. Within a few moments the struggling stopped and the sludge began to dribble, puddling on the ground.

Emma yanked her knife free and rolled away again as the big one slammed it's fist down on the floor right where she'd been crouched, splashing it's fellow Ruins' remains. Emma ran forward, leaping first onto one of the chairs with one foot and launching herself from there onto the large Ruin's back. The chair clattered to the floor as Emma scaled her way up the Ruin's back as it swung around, roaring angrily. Pulling out her knife, Emma stabbed at the Ruin's neck and hulking shoulders. Plunging her blade into the oily sludge over and over.

Her face was splattered with oil and blood by the time she jabbed her knife into the monsters neck, reveling in the final shiver and collapse of the massive body as it died. Emma fell to the floor with it, but the impact made her lose her grip and she fell to the side, landing hard on her back before she rolled away from the abomination.

The final Ruin screamed, but didn't charge. It pulled back, glaring at her as it began to circle. Emma ignored it's move and lunged for it's throat. Her knife dug deep and cut through with a clean strike, her feet sliding across the floor on all of the oily filth, but she remained steady and balanced.

The porcelain head fell to the floor from the body that was already melting and dripping to the floor. Emma stood panting as anger burned in her gut. She felt so, so stupid.

Looking around at the destroyed kitchen, Emma spotted a door that was slightly ajar. Going over to it, she pushed it open with a long, loud creak. Stairs led down into the darkness of what she assumed was the basement. Another part of the underground area she'd been trapped in earlier. Emma took and breath and steeled herself before slowly walking down the stairs.

The darkness seemed to swallow her as she went deeper and deeper. She would occasionally find a landing and have her direction changed, but no matter what she just kept going down... down... down...

When the stairs finally did end, Emma found herself on a wooden ledge, high above the burning fires below. Pieces of a broken pathway remained, allowing her to jump across to slightly higher ground. There were more stairs leading on and on, going up and down. Occasionally the path would fall away and she'd have to leap from one place to the next, but the dreary darkness remained. The further she went the more viewing cages she saw with dolls inside. She kept her guard up, her nerves buzzing with _Danger!_ , but nothing leaped out at her.

She finally came to a set of stairs leaping upwards, but everything was dead quiet. There was no sound at all. With a prickly feeling on the back of her neck, Emma climbed the stairs, crossing a couple of landings before finally reaching the top.

It was an open space with only a small bridge to get in and out. Settled in that space, was a giant version of a man; the Dollmaker. Only his torso was visible, the rest settled somewhere below the floor boards, but Emma really didn't care. His eyes were nothing but sockets, oozing with black pollution that also flowed from his mouth and nose, his chin completely black with the oily sludge. There was a big ugly cut on his forehead that was crudely stitched together, his clothes were dirty. His teeth and fingernails were yellowish-black and pointed. The veins on his hands bulged, nails were driven into the flesh like extra needles into a pin cushion, and two doll heads had been fused to the flesh on the backs of his hands.

The Prime Minister made a horrific sight in Wonderland.

"Am I not the most wretched and selfish of fortune's fools?" Emma exclaimed, stepping up before the man as emotion flooded her voice. "Oblivious, I live in a training ground for prostitutes! Our Prime Minister is an abuser and purveyor. I've been complicit with my father's murderer, and the killer of my family, as he corrupted my mind! All this time I proclaimed to be seeking the truth, but never once did I actually look at what was right in front of me."

"You were almost there. Almost free from what you fear. You could have been cured. You could have Forgotten." The Dollmaker told her with a voice that was gravelly and echoing. He picked up a child from somewhere off to his right. The child squealed and wriggled as the man regarded him thoughtfully before reaching up and fixing doll pieces into place, erasing the child for a lifeless doll.

"Abandon the memory of my Father? My Mentor?" Emma demanded, thinking back to her father's mysterious disappearance, that now Emma knew the Prime Minister had something to do with it. And Hiccup... She knew the circumstances of his disappearance, but it didn't change the fact that the Prime Minister was creating the dragon incidents. He was making anyone who investigated them disappear. Her father, Mr. Arrow, the wizards from Altea...

"They are gone... And you should be, too." The Dollmaker stated simply.

"You misbegotten abomination! _Murderer!_ You blood-sucking parasite! The damage you've done to countless people, to children... The abuse." Emma shouted at him, all of her rage boiling to the surface.

"I provide a service to the Allied Kingdoms. In the great and awful metropolis, appetites of all sorts must be gratified: Lust and Power. To protect, we must attack. To acquire Power and strength, we must take. Sacrifices must be made." Frollo told her.

"My Family, My mind, The Infernal Train!" Emma exclaimed, thinking of all the people who'd been affected by his actions. So many people killed or missing, Hogwarts was falling to pieces as members of the Ministry brainwashed her peers into society, and her own mind was falling to pieces right before her eyes...

"The Train is your... defense. I merely set it's schedule and itinerary." The Dollmaker informed her. He continued with a sing-song rhythm, "The train is coming with its shiny cars, with comfy seats and wheels of stars. So hush my little ones, have no fear, the man in the moon is the engineer..."

"But how did you do it? How did you curse my mind? Inject your poison?!" Emma demanded, glaring up at the man.

"Amazing what magics can be done with only a tiny piece of hair, especially when mixed with the boundless potential of Dark Magic..." The Dollmaker mused, glancing down at her vaguely. Uncaring.

Meanwhile, Emma's memory flashed before her eyes; _She pushed her way out of the office, only to bump into someone right outside the door... Slowly, Emma looked up at the man standing over her and her shoulders tensed a little when she met the unimpressed gaze of Prime Minister Claude Frollo..._

_"Curious," He said, drawing out the 's' just a little with his quiet tone. It reminded Emma of a rattle snake. "And what is someone so young doing in the Auror's Office during the evening meal?"_

_"Nothing, Sir. Just some filing. Getting the older cases out of the way to make space for all the newer ones coming in." Emma said, accepting the file when the Prime Minister held it out to her..._

_"Perhaps you would do better to join your friends at the feast. A young lady's social life is very important. It would be a shame for such a pretty face to waste away in some Dark, Rotted corner."..._

Emma's fists clenched at her sides as she ground her teeth. "I'll stop that Train... If it's the last thing I do!"

"As you wish... It will be." He said, reaching out a massive hand and grabbing her. Darkness enveloped her as his voice reverberated through her head. By the time the darkness cleared from her mind, she'd been fitted into one of the Dollmaker's dolls; bare body and giant head. Her limbs felt like they were made of lead. She couldn't and only hung limply in her grasp. He regarded her for a moment and then reached over and dropped her down a chute. She landed on top of a pile of other doll pieces and rubbish. "You're lost. And where your body is, your mind will follow. Perhaps it's already there." He said.

And then everything gave out below her and she was falling...


	28. Broken

**Music:** "Broken" by Anson Seabra

_NOTES!: "Monsters are Real, and Ghosts are Real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they Win."_

**Chapter 28: Broken**

Hiccup had lost count of how many needles had pricked his arm in the last hour, and he had no idea whether they were injecting more of their experimental substances into his body, or if they were taking his blood for their own personal use.

That is what life in Azkaban was like; constant experiments that he was dragged out of his cell for nearly every single day. Frollo's compound housed several Dark Druids that would conduct whatever experiments they pleased on every prisoner on the island in order to produce results. What they considered "results" varied quite a lot, but the common factor seemed to be that, whatever it was, it was useful to Frollo.

Because of their "scientific studies", It didn't take Hiccup too long to figure out the purpose of the tattooed collar around his neck. Within the first few days of his consciousness, he discovered that the collar was a magical chokehold of sorts. If he used any sort of magic, the runes would glow and redirect his magic inward, causing him pain. If the Prime Minister or one of his scientists didn't like something he did or just wanted to test his tolerance for pain, they could activate the runes and they would drain his magic to inflict pain.

It was also difficult to get them to stop glowing entirely because Hiccup had learned quite some time ago that his magic was always active. Always flowing through him. Always trying to get out. So the marks always had at least a very faint glow. The only saving grace was that it didn't hurt enough for Hiccup to take much notice, especially after spending a good part of his adolescence with frequent migraines.

"I have enough blood samples for today. Take it to Haggar. She has a very important test to run on it today." The druid told the guards.

Hiccup's restraints were yanked off, but just as his limbs were free, rough hands grabbed hold of them. The guards pulled his arms behind his back and dragged him to his feet, securing his wrists and ankles with shackles before the led him back into the halls. Hiccup felt dizzy and a little nauseous, but he supposed he was doing pretty well considering the past few weeks.

But he knew that was about to change.

He knew the name Haggar. He'd learned it very early on, especially with Percy and the other kidnapped soldiers warning him. She was the head of the Druids at Azkaban, and she used to be the right-hand advisor of Emporer Zarkon, who had initiated the civil war in Altea. She now worked closely with Frollo, apparently, as she was in charge of all the happenings on the island. And Hiccup had learned quickly that Haggar was the last person he wanted to see at any given time. Her experiments were especially gruesome, and her cruelty was legendary.

Haggar's lab was located inside of the tower on the very top floor. It was isolated and heavily guarded on the floor below. Passed the stairwell, there was no one on the top floor except for Haggar and whoever had caught her attention.

The guards dragged Hiccup up the stairwell to the top floor of the tall, tall tower. Upon arrival, they knocked on the door once and waited silently for nearly fifteen minutes before the door finally opened to reveal the hooded figure of Haggar. Her glowing eyes flashed with interest when they landed on Hiccup, and he felt a shiver racing down his spine.

"Bring him inside. I'll require your assistance for this test." She ordered, opening the door wider, and the guards immediately obeyed.

Hiccup was shoved into the room and pushed to his knees in the center of it. The guards stood on either side of him as Haggar circled him and then turned to her table of medical instruments. Hiccup watched as she inspected a few of the sharper pieces by holding them up to the light, but overall couldn't see much of what she was doing as her back was to him, blocking his view.

"I am told that you were a Gladiator for the Romans for a short time," Haggar began in an almost conversational way, but her voice was so sharp and so cold, Hiccup couldn't imagine holding normal conversation with this woman. "So you must have some knowledge of Roman War Powder."

It was a statement, not a question, but Hiccup refused to respond. He stayed silent and glared at her, his lip curling back as memories of the Gladiator ring came rushing back... The drug that drove the fights...

"Your silence is answer enough." Haggar told him, ignoring his show of defiance. "The properties of this particular substance are quite interesting. Remarkably similar to Gravesand used by the Changlings, and yet, when unrefined, War Powder becomes almost a hallucinogen," She spoke as her arms moved, working on something, and then she turned to Hiccup, holding a bowl. Hiccup's felt his muscles tense as his eyes locked on that bowl, his heart pounding. "Some say this drug allows Gladiators and Warriors of the Roman Empire to accelerate their healing capabilities, allowing them to fight for longer. I've also been told that when subjected to an unrefined dosage, these mindless killers become easier to control. I wonder what affects it will have on you..."

"I won't," Hiccup growled, scowling up at her as she stood over him. She frowned and knelt down in front of him.

"You don't have a choice." She hissed. She lifted the bowl and blew, her breath puffing the dust into Hiccup's face. He tried to yank himself back and away, but it was useless. The dust infiltrated his nose, making itch as he sniffed and snorted, trying to get it out.

He shook his head back and forth, blinking his eyes, and trying to pull away, but one of the guards put their hand on the back of his neck, forcing him to stay right where he was and breathe in the powder. He choked and gagged, tears streaming from his eyes as the powder made them burn. His heartbeat was getting harder, faster. He could feel his blood rushing through his veins alongside magic. More and more magic. Wild and searching for a way out. His senses all screamed _Danger!_ and _Fight!_

He felt his fingernails sharpening and digging into his palms, his teeth ached as they stretched to points, and his runes around his neck glowed so bright he could see the purple light in the corners of his eyes.

The only thing that he could fully register was the _Pain_. It was all consuming. Crushing him and pulling him apart all at once.

Someone was screaming, it might've been him, but he couldn't be sure. He was burning alive and freezing to death at the same time. His vision warped and twisted, the edges becoming fuzzy.

His senses shrieked _Danger!_ and _Fear!_ and _Fly!_ and _Fight!_ but he couldn't move the pain was so bad. All he could do was curl inward on himself as he willed it all to stop. The instincts were so overwhelming. His magic wanted out, but it was just redirected back at him by the collar. Hiccup tried to force his magic to stop, but that hurt even worse.

A leg slammed into his side, and Hiccup went sprawling across the floor, rolling twice before catching himself on his hands and knees. His head snapped towards the guard who had kicked him and Hiccup _snarled_ , but immediately groaned in pain afterwards.

"Get up and fight." Haggar commanded, glaring down her nose at him from the side as the two guards grinned and brandished their fists.

"I... Won't..." Hiccup bit out through clenched teeth, squeezing his eyes shut to ignore the black spots in his vision.

"You _Will_." Haggar said. But this time her voice didn't come from her body. It echoed on one side of his head, shoving his instincts aside to make space.

Hiccup grabbed his hair and screamed as a piercing feeling drove into his temple. Two powers struggled in his mind; one overwhelming, the other over-bearing. He could feel his consciousness slipping as both bubbles, both presence, grew stronger. It felt like a wrestling match in his head as both sides struggled to gain complete control, going back and forth as Hiccup lost himself in the _Pain_.

 _"You Will Obey."_ Haggar's voice sliced through his mind, the over-bearing side surging forward, but it only made the overwhelming power, Hiccup's own magic and instincts, more agitated. Hiccup growled as his power forced itself forward, pushing Haggar nearly completely out of his mind.

Haggar scowled and pushed against it, clashing with the wave of Hiccup's magic, and the resulting pain made Hiccup's vision flash white as he screamed. The collar around his neck was letting off wisps of smoke, it was burning so much, and it felt as if liquid electricity was rushing through his veins. But his magic lashed out; _snarling, biting, fire_ , and Haggar shrieked, falling backwards as she was forced entirely out of Hiccup's mind.

With Haggar's expulsion, the pain lessened significantly, but he couldn't catch his breath and his heart was pounding. He didn't know how long the whole exchange had taken, maybe a few minutes? A few hours? Whatever the case, the drug was still in his system, and his magic was reacting violently to it. His whole body twitched and flinched as he gasped for breath, sweat dripping off of his forehead.

Still, he lifted his eyes to where the guards were helping Haggar back to her feet. Their eyes locked and Haggar frowned at him, her brow furrowing deep.

"You... Will Not... Break... Me." Hiccup told her, clenching his fists against the floor where he still lay, half-curled into himself.

"We'll see about that," Haggar said, but before she'd even finished speaking, the door opened. Haggar and the guards turned towards the noise, but Hiccup let his head drop down again, using the moment to try and steady himself against the slowly fading affects of the drug.

"Have you made any progress with your experiments, Haggar?" Frollo's voice made Hiccup's skin crawl as he glanced up to watched Haggar greet the Prime Minister.

"We've only reached the preliminary stages of this particular test, but I believe continuing with this theory may prove fruitful. His mind is weakened by the drug and with more time I will find a way to offer you complete control over the Dragonling." Haggar told him firmly, her voice leaving no room for questioning.

"Perhaps." Frollo hummed, stepping to her side and peering down his nose at Hiccup, who glared up at him. "But then again, I may have discovered a simpler way of acquiring the power of a dragon."

"What are you talking about?" Haggar asked, but Frollo wasn't looking at her.

Hiccup and Frollo stared at each other as the old man stepped closer, his long robes brushing along the smooth and polished floor. He folded his hands neatly in front of him and regarded Hiccup with a chilling look. Hiccup responded by forcing himself up into a sitting position on shaking arms, glaring at the man.

"What do you want?" Hiccup growled.

"I simply want what all good leaders want: the power to achieve my sacred duty of guarding the people of the Ministry." Claude Frollo said, using his arm and hands to accentuate his speech.

"You mean anyone who follows you. Everyone else needs to be silenced or destroyed." Hiccup retorted, still unable to catch his breath.

"Anyone who does not align themselves with the Ministry of Magic is a traitor to the Allied Kingdoms and all of civilized society." The Prime Minister informed him with a sharp glare. "In any case, you hold a power unknown to the world. You live with and control dragons. Your magic is truly extraordinary and mysterious. But if you are not willing to fight for the Ministry on your own accord, Haggar's experiments will eventually find a way of forcing your mind into submission under your authority."

"You can't force me to do your bidding! I'll never stop fighting you!" Hiccup spat, baring his teeth at the old man as he walked off to inspect some medical tools, casually continuing the conversation as if it were of little consequence.

"You don't have the choice. Your power is meant to be used by those strong enough to wield it properly, and you have proven that you are incapable of using it for the benefit of your society." Frollo turned back to Hiccup, his gaze wide and intense. "I will use your power to uphold the Authority of the Ministry and to defend the Allied Kingdoms from the forces of War Lords. _I_ will control dragons!"

"I don't control them!" Hiccup said, shaking his head. "They are intelligent, beautiful creatures and I fly with them because I have bonded with them! I earned their trust!"

"Trust," Frollo laughed and scoffed. "The only recognizable power in this life is the Absolute. One's will over all others. And if you will not obey, I will have my druids continue their experiments until you've no choice. I already know the first beast I will take control of." Frollo's mouth twisted into a grin and Hiccup shrank back, his lip curling up again.

"What poor creature suffered such an awful fate as to catch your attention?" Hiccup asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know, but also needing to.

"A beast of legend that I stumbled upon almost in a dream." Frollo responded after a moments thought. "It was a few weeks after having the same dream that Haggar brought an ancient manuscript to my attention depicting a beast of great power." Frollo reached into his sleeve and withdrew a scroll, unraveling it first to himself and then turning it to show Hiccup.

The old, slightly smudged, drawing made Hiccup freeze and his breath catch in his lungs. His heart pounded in his ears as his mind raced to process what he was seeing.

"The Jabberwocky," He whispered, unable to believe what was right before his eyes.

"Ah, so you know of this beast?" Frollo's interests were peaked as he once again looked at the drawing. "Very little is known of it, but I have managed to discover an old rhyme about how to summon it into this world."

"You are obsessed with power! You want Magics that you have no business tampering with! You'll kill us all!" Hiccup exclaimed, fixing his eyes on the Prime Minister's face, trying desperately to find any sort of humanity there. "You have to understand, the Jabberwocky is a monster, born of pure evil and hatred. He won't listen to you, and if you release him into the world, he will destroy everything in his path!"

"A promising threat. But you underestimate our abilities." Frollo smiled as he gestured to Haggar as well as himself. "I've nearly completed the potion to summon the beast. The only item left on the list is the 'blood of a Warrior Maiden who wields the Vorpal Blade'." Frollo paused and cut a glance to Hiccup. "It took me quite some time to come up with an answer to that part of the poem, but what a surprise I found when one little girl stood out among all the rest at Hogwarts; and all because she was carrying the file enclosed with documents about the investigation of your death."

"Don't." Hiccup told him with a shaking voice. "You don't know what you're doing, you'll only end up hurting people!"

"No, I will be doing what is necessary to protect the people. You have brought pain upon Emma Frost by teaching her your insubordinate ways." Frollo accused.

"She doesn't even know that I'm alive! She's just a kid, please!" Hiccup lied as he begged. "Do what you want with me! You can break my soul, take my life away, beat me, hurt me, kill me. But for the love of the gods: Don't. Touch. _Her_."

Frollo remained silent, but his mouth twisted up into a wicked smile as he slowly rolled the scroll. "And now you've confirmed my suspicions of the girl being the Warrior Maiden after all."

Hiccup's eyes went wide, then narrowed into a glare and he heard himself snarling as he realized he'd been tricked. "You didn't actually know."

"Of course not. But after several encounters with the child, I began to grow suspicious of her secrets. It's no matter, though. I've already placed a curse on the girl that will slowly erase her memory and weaken her mind. Soon enough I'll be able to extract everything I need from her." Frollo tucked the scroll back into his sleeve and folded his hands in front of him neatly, that damned smile still on his face.

Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his face twist with all of the rage that boiled up inside him. Suddenly his feet were braced on the floor, launching him forward as he lunged at the Prime Minister, roaring as he wound up his left arm to swipe across the man's throat. He was stopped mid-way though as both guards jumped on him, grabbing him by his arms and shoulders and forcing him back. Hiccup snarled and spat, glaring at the Prime Minister who remained the picture of calm and satisfied.

"You're a _monster_!" Hiccup shouted at him.

Hiccup wanted nothing else in that moment, but to slit that man's throat. To feel his blood spill out.

"No, I am a Man, entrusted with the holy duty of managing heathens like you for the betterment of our civilization." Frollo explained.

"It isn't _Ours_. It's _yours_ , and I want no part in it." Hiccup growled through his teeth.

"You don't have the choice." Frollo told him. "Take him back to his cell, I've grown weary of this prattle. I must speak with Haggar privately."

The guards immediately obeyed, pulling Hiccup's arms behind him and shackling them again as they dragged him towards the door. Hiccup just continued to glare at the Prime Minister, and he wasn't frightened or ashamed when he started imagining his claws slitting that man's throat.

* * *

"Well, someone was gone for quite a while. You have fun with old Haggy? Heard the guards say you were paying her a visit." Lance smirked after the guards had left, leaving Hiccup back in his cell.

Initially, Hiccup had been surprised to find out that all of the surrounding cells contained the missing soldiers he'd met his first day, but it was something he quickly became thankful for. Being able to talk with them kept him sane, kept him from falling deep into the part of the monster everyone called him. They had accepted him fairly quickly, too, their most suspicious companions - Keith and Pidge mostly - seemed to be fine with his presence after a few days. Whether the friendship was out of pity or out of kindness, Hiccup didn't really mind either way. He was just grateful they saw more than just a freakish monster in him. They even shared with him that they were working on an escape plan together, but they were being cautious as they probably only had one shot at it. If they tried and were captured again, Frollo and Haggar would increase their security. Possibly lock them in solitary confinement.

"Oh, yeah! You know how authority figures just _love_ my company." Hiccup replied dryly, but in all honesty, it wasn't often anyone came back from Haggar still conscious, so he supposed he should count himself lucky.

"Probably as much as they love your insubordination." Pidge remarked.

"Yeah, wow, you're right! It's almost like I'm a pirate or something!" Hiccup said, jabbing a thumb towards his back and the dragon tattoo they'd all seen multiple times by now. Pidge just cackled a little bit in response.

Hiccup smirked, but quickly felt a weight on his shoulders, pushing them down with guilt, as he remembered all he learned during his time with Haggar and then the Prime Minister. As he remember Frollo's discovery of Wonderland and Emma's connection to it.

Hiccup dragged himself over to the corner of his cage and sat down, feeling exhausted and worn. His back was pressed against the bars separating his cage from Percy's, and he felt it when the man moved to kneel down behind him. A frost-covered hand rested on his shoulder where one of his more prominent bruises were, and Hiccup glanced back at the man, offering some wordless gratitude as the older man simply smiled back. Hiccup eventually pulled off his shirt and allowed Percy to ice the lashings, cuts, and bruises that littered his back. It took a long time, but eventually the Winter Sprite had done everything he could and turned to sit down, resting back-to-back with the boy. Hiccup shoved his limbs back into the tattered shirt and then let himself lean back against the bars, his gaze moving from the floor to the ceiling.

It was late and everyone else had already gone to sleep, or were at least pretending to be in the hopes of finding some rest at some point.

"You know," Percy began softly, causing Hiccup's eyes to flick to one side, towards the man. "I've been in here a very long time. I've seen so many come and go. So many lives lost to Haggar and her experiments. But I think the absolute worst thing to witness, is someone who has lost Hope."

"Is this going to turn into some lecture about 'Keeping Hope Alive'?" Hiccup rolled his eyes as Percy chuckled.

"No, I suppose you're too old to believe in such fairy tales." Percy sighed.

"I believe in them." Hiccup said, nearly interrupting Percy and glaring at the floor as he leaned forward, burying half his face into his arms that were propped on top of his knees. "They just let me down. And every time I've tried to get back up on my own, to find something _Good_... Well, this last attempt got me here... And now Frollo is going to hurt someone I promised to always look after and protect."

His throat felt tight, and his eyes felt hot and swollen. His mind kept flashing back to a night when he'd met Jack's eyes from across the Great Hall. His best friend had complete faith in him to look after Emma and keep her safe, but now it was because of him that her life was in danger.

"I -I just keep thinking about... About what could have been. O-or how things would've turned out if I had just been a little stronger. A little more in control... A little braver." Hiccup admitted, ignoring the wet feeling on his cheeks.

"You aren't alone in that, Cat." Percy said, and Hiccup tilted his head towards him slightly. "I know this is probably the part where you expect me to offer comfort and try to convince to not give up Hope, but this place... Well, it's awful. And everyone here has regrets keeping us up at night. Things we wished we'd said or done..." Percy sighed, and Hiccup may have imagined it, but he thought he heard a waver in his breath. "I just wish I could see my children again. Know that they're alright and doing well. Know that Matilda and them are safe."

Hiccup lifted his, an urge to say something, anything, rushing up in his chest, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out. There was no way to tell him without exposing himself, not that it mattered much at that point, he guessed. Overall, though, nothing he said would mean much. Percy had been in Azkaban for eleven years. Nothing would ever give him that time back.

"...I just wish I could tell them all that I'm sorry." Hiccup whispered after a long moment of silence.

And they sat there, back-to-back, in the darkness and the quiet.

* * *

"Are ye mad?!" Alvin shouted, pounding his fist on the small, makeshift table. "We got our bloody asses kicked the last time we went against the Ministry, and now ye want us to go do it again?!"

"Cat would do the same for any one of us!" Talia retorted.

"Well, yeah! It's a bit easier when you've got a herd of giant, flying, fire-breathing lizards under your command!" Sinbad muttered, but quickly fell quiet after a sharp look from Eret.

"We have the dragons with us, and they'll be itching to tear apart anything standing between them and Cat! Besides, the Prime Minister may have given up for the time being, but how long before the whole thing starts again? You really think he'll stop at Cat?" Eret demanded.

"All the more reason to pull back and gather our forces. Run and fortify ourselves before they start coming after us again!" Hook put in, jabbing his finger against the tabletop.

"They aren't wrong, lad." Silver rumbled from his reclined position, slightly raising his tankard to draw attention. "And there is the Code to be considered here."

"The Code?!" Talia sneered incredulously. "You're bloody _Pirates!_ Hang the Code, and Hang the Rules! They're more like guidelines anyways!"

"I agree." Esmeralda announced.

"Oh, of course you do." Sinbad muttered, only to get slapped on the back of the head by Esmeralda herself.

"As I was saying," She said, turning back to the gathered Captains. "We have the element of surprise. This attack could easily shift the tide of this ongoing battle with the Ministry. Just this year they've taken at least five different Sanctuaries. Running and hiding has done nothing to help us."

Captain Zarina chimed in agreement from across the table, her first-mate nodding confirmation of the agreement.

"They do have a fair many points there." Silver nodded thoughtfully. "At the end of it all, my crew is at your disposal, yer Majesty. I'm curious to see what you'll do." He chuckled heartily.

"Alright, fine, say we all agree to this crazy suicide mission, which is exactly what this is! Even more so than the last one! Are you sure your intel is good?" Sinbad wanted to know.

"Double checked it myself." Eret replied evenly and without hesitation. "Even went to check out the route. It's sealed up pretty tight, but our window of opportunity will open up in just a few days."

"And I suppose we'll need to be waiting there, ready for it when it happens." Hook said, and Talia nodded.

"Prepare your ships and men for battle. We set sail in three days." Talia ordered, turning and looking out the window. Outside the small and shabby structure they used for their meeting, Toothless laid on the dock, staring up at the moon.


	29. I'm Not Afraid

**Music:** "I'm Not Afraid" by Tommee Profitt (feat. Wondra)

_NOTES: "Promise me you'll always remember that you are Braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem, and Smarter than you think."_

**Chapter 29: I'm Not Afraid**

The roar of the crowd was deafening. People were cheering and screaming as a band played an exciting march. Each school chanted different mantras for their own champions as everyone got caught up in the rush of excitement for the Final Challenge of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Rapunzel's hands were shaking and her stomach felt hollow as she looked out at the crowd from a walkway under the seating. The late evening sun cast long shadows across the yard that was set up for the event.

A hand on her shoulder caused Rapunzel to turned around, finding Merida smiling at her.

"You're gonna do great." She said confidently, giving a thumbs up as Rapunzel puffed out a breath.

"Thanks, Merida, I guess I'm just a little nervous." Rapunzel ducked her head, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear shyly.

"You've faced down a fairy in a broomstick chase, a giant sea monster, fire cats, and _now_ you're nervous?" Jack's voice caught both girls' attention and they turned to see him approaching.

"Jack! What are you doing here? You should be with Emma!" Rapunzel said.

"What? And miss seeing you win the tournament? No way! Besides, Emma's sleeping and my Grandma is staying with her at the hospital. There's not much I can do there right now." Jack assured them.

"Did they ever find out what happened? It sounds so strange. I heard she disappeared for a while, and then she was suddenly stumbling around the train station, muttering nonsense." Merida spoke up, tilting her head curiously at Jack who shrugged helplessly.

"No one knows anything, and Emma was so out of it... They tested her for drugs or curses, but couldn't find anything. All we can do now is wait until she's feeling better and hopefully she'll be able to remember something." Jack said, shoving his free hand into his pocket and his other holding his staff in a light grip. "And what about Bunny and Sandy? I heard they left the Moor." Jack looked at Merida, and Rapunzel started and looked at her too. She hadn't heard anything about this.

"Aye, while you two were busy, North called us together. A distress call came from the Southern Isles; Pitch and his Nightmares have taken the main island." Merida explained in a hushed tone, casting a glance around as she spoke to make sure the other champions and the teachers weren't listening.

"What?" Rapunzel asked. "But why would he do that? The Southern Isles is such a small country, it doesn't make any sense to attack them."

"Does it matter? Pitch has been using Guerrilla War tactics all year, probably buying time until he can make his official move, but they had a confirmed sighting, so Bunny and Sandy went to see if they could chase him down. We're here to keep up appearances." Merida told them, giving a purposeful look towards the tunnel entrance where the crowds could be heard.

"This doesn't feel right. If Pitch really is there, we should all be there to fight him! There's no way Bunny and Sandy can take him on their own!" Jack ground his teeth together, gripping his staff tight in both hands in his frustration.

"Jack is right. I don't like this." Rapunzel agreed.

"And you think I do? Believe me, I wanted to go with them, too, but North is right that all of the Guardians suddenly rushing off at once would cause a panic. And there's a good chance this will turn out like all the other times; we go, Pitch isn't there, we fight a bunch of Nightmares, and we leave. It's better for us to stay here. Don't forget, Professor Sandman's a Sorcerer too. He can hold his own against Pitch." Merida reasoned, and neither of them could argue with the logic behind it.

"As much as I don't like it, Merida is right. The odds of this being another false alarm is really high. You should stay focused on the Final Challenge." Jack started slow, but then smirked at Rapunzel.

"That's right. Finish the tournament, and then we can track down North and the others to discuss what to do about Pitch." Merida nodded.

Rapunzel wanted to respond, but before she could, North stepped into the tunnel, ushering everyone together. He informed all of them that it was time to begin and had them line up to be presented to the crowd with Jim at the front and Rapunzel bringing up the rear. Jim stepped out into the crowd alongside Varvatos Vex and the crowd roared with excitement as the young boy waved nervously. Elsa followed behind alongside Hera and was met with the same rush of cheers. Rapunzel stepped up next to North and shared a look with the older man.

The Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts looked very worn and tired. He offered her a smile, but she could see the troubles lingering behind his eyes. She couldn't manage a smile in return, so she ended up looking up at him worriedly, biting her lip.

They both stepped out into the quickly dying burn of the sun, the noise that greeted them thundered in Rapunzel's ears like muffled waves crashing into the shore. She looked around to see everyone happy and thrilled to be there, but she couldn't help the sense of _Danger_ in her stomach. Something felt _Wrong_.

North took his place at the podium and motioned for everyone to settle down, the loudness fading into silence fairly quickly. North looked around, pleased by all of the students who were eagerly awaiting the Final Challenge and the results of the tournament afterwards.

"Welcome to the Final Challenge!" North exclaimed, raising his arms out to the sides as the crowd roared in reply. Once it quiet down again, North continued. "It is my honor to present the representative of our gracious hosts here in the Great Moor; Queen Clarion of the Nature Fairies!"

As he stepped to the side, glowing lights flew through the air, buzzing together into a bright cluster that reformed and burst, revealing the magnificent figure of Queen Clarion, a fairy with large, golden wings and clothed in what looked like a gown of pixie dust. The regal queen smiled and nodded to North before taking a step forward to stand at the podium.

"Hello and welcome to all!" She greeted, receiving cheers in response. "It is my honor and privilege to act as the representative for the many species and cultures here in the Great Moor! This Final Challenge, as is tradition, will take place within the Great Maze. Earlier today the Tri-Wizard Cup was placed within the maze, and only a select few know it's exact location. The goal of this Challenge will be to locate the Cup. The first Champion to grab hold of the Cup will be named the victor of the Tournament!" Queen Clarion paused to allow everyone a moment of excitement before continuing. "Now, as Princess Rapunzel is currently in first place, she will enter the maze first, followed by James Lake Jr. and then Queen Elsa." Queen Clarion announced. "Officials for the tournament will be patrolling the perimeter of the Maze; should, at any point, a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only to send up red sparks with their wand. Now, contestants, if you would please gather round." Queen Clarion turned around, looking at each of the three Champions as they stepped forward.

Rapunzel watched as the fairy Queen stepped towards them, closing in their small circle and speaking lowly so that no one else would hear what she had to say to them.

"Be warned, Champions," She said, "In the Maze you won't find fearsome creatures or deceitful traps, instead you will face something even more challenging. You see, people _change_ in the Maze. Find the Cup if you can, but be aware that in this Maze you may very well lose yourselves along the way. Or perhaps, with a strong enough will, you'll find yourselves." The Queen's cryptic advice sent a shiver down Rapunzel's spine and she swallowed thickly. "Prepare yourselves, Champions!" She declared loud enough for everyone to hear.

They parted for her as she passed by them, heading over to stand beside North and her fellow Fairy Queen, Toothiana. The noise and the band started all over again, filling the air. Rapunzel looked over towards the tunnel she entered from to find Merida and Jack giving her encouraging smiles and a thumbs up. She looked a little more up towards the Hogwarts section of the seats and almost immediately spotted Eugene in the front row, grinning at her. Rapunzel nodded to them all, and then turned to stand before the entrance of the Maze. The long, dark pathway awaiting her with an ominous fog.

Rapunzel's heart was pounding in her ears, and she could barely hear the crowd. She was vaguely aware of Queen Clarion leading a count-down from three, and when she reached one there was a loud blast of canon fire, that acted as a jump-start to Rapunzel's body which started moving on it's own. She shakily stepped into the Maze, slowly crossing over the threshold.

Once she was a few steps within the Maze, she looked back at the fading sunlight and the excited crowd of all her friends cheering for her. The bushes moved and shifted, closing in until they completely blocked off the entrance to the Maze. All of the noise seemed to vanish, leaving Rapunzel in absolute silence except for her own breathing. There was no sunlight in the Maze, only a thick fog that she knew would confuse her and leave her unable to tell what direction she was going.

Taking a deep breath, Rapunzel forced herself to remain calm. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the parchment with the clue she'd received from the last task. Unrolling it, she found that same squiggly line that didn't mean anything to her, but once she held it out in front of her, the line came to life. It move about the page like a tiny snake, swirling in a small circle, and then shooting into a very straight line with one ninety-degree angle to the left at the very end.

It was a map.

Rapunzel released a breath, relieved that she had some sort of guidance through this place, even if it was only one small part at a time. She started following the line's directions, walking forward and watching as the line grew shorter and shorter with her movements. She passed two openings, one on her left and the other on her right, and then at the third opening she turned left and walked a couple paces. When she reached the end of the line's first instructions it turned into a little dot on the page and then did another little dance across the page before creating another bit of instruction for her.

If she just kept following this line and didn't let herself get distracted or turned around by the maze, Rapunzel was certain it would guide her through. Keeping this in mind, Rapunzel kept on marching through the Maze, trying her best to ignore the very loud silence that pressed in around her.

The whistle of the wind, the rustling of the plants, the distant chirps and chitterings of animals, and her own breathing and pounding heart. Noise clogged her ears, and she wondered why her palms were so sweaty. Why her stomach churned uncomfortably.

She shook the thoughts away. _"Steady Rapunzel."_ She reminded herself. _"Just stay focused on that line and keep moving forward."_ She knew the fog was not just a physical way of confusing them, but that it would also enter their minds if they allowed it the space to get in.

A scream split the air, and Rapunzel's head shot up in the direction in came from. It was Jim, no doubt. Her mind went back to their discussion on the train and worry pooled in her chest. She took a step towards where the sound had come from, but stopped herself and looked down at the line. It was shaking, warning her that she was straying from the path.

Rapunzel took another deep breath. There was armed security and proctors surrounding the Maze. Nothing that wasn't a part of the tournament would be able to get to Jim here, right? She just had to stay focused.

She turned back the way she'd been facing, but before she could start walking again, the hedges began to move and shift again. Suddenly the pathway was closing in on itself, rushing towards Rapunzel with lashing branches and vines that reached out to grab at her. Rapunzel stumbled backwards, and then turned and started running in the other direction. The hedges were closing in around her, swiping at her back and vines grabbing at her arms and ankles. She raced and wriggled to get out of the bushes and just barely managed to get out at the very end of the path where the bushes stopped caving inward.

Rapunzel bent forward, panting and looking at the path that was no closed to her. She really should have known it wasn't going to be that easy. She went to look at the map, but realized it wasn't in her hands.

"No!" She shouted, looking back at the bushes. She must have dropped it by accident while trying to escape. She clenching her teeth and kicked a bit of dirt at the bushes, annoyed by the set back, but she quickly reigned herself in. "Okay, it's a minor set back, but don't worry! You've got this! Just find a path that goes in that direction, and hopefully the Cup isn't much farther." She told herself.

She looked right and left, the fog looking eerie and oppressive on both sides of her. She went left, figuring it was no use going back the way she'd come from, and slowly started walking through the fog. With no map to stay focused on, she kept her attention fixed on counting her steps. That way, if she lost her way, she could find her way back. Hopefully.

 _"Rapunzel..."_ Her head snapped up at the whisper, and she looked all around, carefully scanning her surroundings. _"Rapunzel..."_

"Who's there?" She demanded, drawing her wand and glaring into the shadows as she took on a fighting stance.

 _"Rapunzel..."_ She twisted around and there, in the middle of the path about a yard away, was a young boy. Messy auburn hair and green eyes...

"Hiccup?" Rapunzel whispered, her wand slowly lowering to her side as she looked at the small figure. He turned and walked off to the right, leaving Rapunzel's view, and her heart leaped into her throat as she started running towards him. "Wait!" She cried.

The Maze was dark and cold and damp. The fog swirled as Rapunzel raced down the path, trying to find the boy, but when she finally turned the corner, there was no one there. Rapunzel looked all around her, but she was the only one there.

 _"Rapunzel..."_ She looked down the path again and there he was again! He was closer this time. The familiar mess of hair and bright green eyes, but it wasn't right. Rapunzel gasped and stumbled backwards, staring at Hiccup. He was drenched in blood from head to foot, his hair plastered with it, his robes hanging limp and weighted, his eyes full of tears.

"Hiccup," Rapunzel's voice shook as she felt her own eyes welling up and bile rise in her throat.

 _"Why didn't you save me, Rapunzel?"_ Hiccup asked, his voice sounding strange. Like it was mixed with several other voices. But he looked so _Real_.

"I -I didn't know, I..." Rapunzel stuttered, her chest rising and falling sharply as she lost control of her breathing. "Hiccup, I'm so sorry." Tears dripped from her eyes just like the blood that dripped from his fingertips.

 _"Why didn't you help me? Why did I have to die alone?"_ Hiccup asked, his distorted voice becoming deeper and angrier with a snarl breaking into his speech at the end. _"You abandoned me!"_

"No! Hiccup, please, I never wanted any of this to happen!" Rapunzel said. "I never wanted to lose you! I never wanted things to change!"

 _"You're too naive."_ Hiccup growled at her, and Rapunzel flinched back. _"Change is inevitable,"_ His voice got even deeper, completely distorted into something unfamiliar as his skin turned gray and his eyes turned a glowing yellow, just like Pitch's. _"You cannot overcome your regret."_ The shadow shifted and changed into a shapeless, black creature that shrieked and charged at Rapunzel.

"Stop!" Rapunzel screamed, throwing her arms in front of her face. In that instant, everything slowed. A cool feeling spread through her whole body; not the pressing and chilling cold of the Maze, but the feeling of a cool breeze on a hot day. Her lungs expanded, _Freedom_ and _Space_ opening up her chest and easing the squeezing on her heart.

A high-pitched whistle and a flash of yellow light filled her consumed her sight and hearing along with the sound of large wings fluttering.

There was a shriek and when Rapunzel opened her eyes, the shadow was gone. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath as sobs shook her body. She pressed her hands into the earth, grabbing fistfuls of grass as she grew more and more angry at herself. After all this time, she was still the same weak and naive little girl in a tower. What was she thinking? How could she possibly be a Champion Wizard, let alone a _Guardian_?

The coolness returned, more gently this time, and a light glow made Rapunzel raise her head. A small ball of yellow light floated right in front of her, giving off that wonderful feeling. A breeze whispered through her hair and on it she heard the distant laughter of children. A wet laugh burst from her chest and she sniffed, carefully raising her hands to cup the little light close to her. It slowly faded, seeping over her hands like a coating before disappearing, and Rapunzel stared at her hands. She found she wasn't surprised, but her heart ached in a good way.

Even though he was gone, Hiccup was still with her. Still trying to help her.

Not just Hiccup. Jack and Merida. Eugene, Cassandra, and all of her friends at Hogwarts. They all believed in her. Time after time she had proven herself capable, and yet here she was, letting one little shadow trick her into thinking she wasn't strong. But she was. She was strong, and she would not let the shadows scare her.

"I'm not afraid." She muttered to herself, closing her hands into fists and taking a deep breath to center herself again. She pushed herself up onto her feet and stood tall, lifting her chin. "I Am Not Afraid!" Rapunzel said, facing the darkness.

She was ready for it.

She squinted a bit as she noticed a small, blue glow flickering in the distance. She took a couple of steps forward, still trying to figure out what it was, but then she grinned. She started running towards it, excitement rushing through her veins. As she was running though, roots began to break out of the ground, grabbing at her ankles and legs, trying to pull her down. Rapunzel shot a deflective spell at them, to knock them away as she kept running, but a sudden gust of wind blowing up the pathway alerted her to the fact that this pathway was now collapsing as well.

Rapunzel turned and sprinted for the light at the end of the path. There were no turns, nowhere else to go but towards that light, so she just kept pushing herself faster, faster, faster! Branches whipped her arms and face, vines and roots tried to grab at her, but she kept fighting them off, ripping herself free.

As she got close to the end of the pathway, Rapunzel threw herself into the clearing at the end, leaping the final distance and dropping onto her hands and knees as she gasped in relief. Her lungs burned and her hands were shaking, but she was grinning so wide her cheeks were hurting because there, right in the center of the clearing, was the Tri-Wizard Cup.

Rapunzel looked to her left as Elsa appeared through another entrance, and then she looked to her left as Jim stumbled in, looking a little ruffled but overall okay. Rapunzel rose to her feet and they all looked at the Cup, but Rapunzel noticed a strange bridge stood on the other side of the clearing and it filled her with a sense of _Danger_.

She slowly drew her wand as she also noticed that Elsa seemed to notice it too, and Jim looked pale.

"I don't like the feel of this," Elsa said, her wand at the ready as she eyed the shadows and the Cup suspiciously.

"That's Killahead Bridge," Jim said, but Rapunzel wasn't sure if he was talking to them or himself. Still, he'd caught both their attention.

"Killahead Bridge? As in, the magical portal to the Darklands where evil trolls live?" Elsa asked, and Jim gulped visibly.

"Right you are!" The fourth voice made them all jump and look at it's source. Rapunzel recognized the man as one of the Durmstrang Professors. He was tall and thin, wearing nice but casual brown robes. His smirk held something sinister.

"Strickler." Jim growled, and Rapunzel glance at him in surprise.

"Surprised, Young Atlas?" Professor Strickler's grin widened as Jim's frown deepened.

"Expelliarmus!" Jim shouted. Caught by surprise, Strickler was thrown backwards and hit the ground hard as Jim took a few steps forward and took a fighting stance against the teacher.

"Jim!" Rapunzel sputtered.

"You just attacked a teacher!" Elsa gasped.

"You can thank me later!" He quipped back at them.

Strickler growled as he caught back to his feet, wiping his jaw with the back of his hand as he glowered at Jim Lake Jr. "You'll regret that, Young Atlas."

Just as the words left his mouth, earth-shaking footsteps caused Rapunzel to turn. She looked up, terror flashing through her, as she came face-to-face with the beast who had nearly killed Eugene at the Ministry of Magic. The Troll snarled at her, but his eyes glinted with a sick sort of excitement as a little bit of drool dripped down his chin.

"Bular!" Jim looked terrified at the sight of the massive Troll, but he was caught between focusing on the giant beast and the teacher whose allegiance was now questionable at best.

"You won't escape Trollhunter! Tonight we will open Killahead Bridge and release my father! The Trolls will take back the surface!" Bular shouted, his grating voice thundering in Rapunzel's ears and making her wince.

"Only after you hold up your end of the bargain." The calm, but chilling voice echoed through the clearing, and Rapunzel slowly turned her head up to the top of the bridge where Pitch Black stood with his hands neatly folded behind his back. On his right was Gothel, his face half-shrouded by the hood of her cloak.

"Pitch Black," Elsa said, glaring up at him as her fists clenched at her sides.

"Hello, dear Champions!" Pitch greeted them, placing his hands on the stone railing of the bridge. "Rapunzel, I believe you've already met my newest associate, Bular the Vicious. However this time I'm afraid you won't have that fool Kanjigar to come and save you. All you have now is a little boy playing Knight." Pitch chuckled, turning his wicked eyes on Jim who shifted on his feet. He wasn't phased, but he was scared.

"What do you want?" Rapunzel demanded, stepping forward to stand beside Jim and placing a hand on his shoulder in the hopes of helping to ground him.

"Isn't it obvious." Pitch smiled blissfully as he held his arms out wide. "What better way to start a War than taking away one of the main sources of Light in the Magical World?" Pitch stretched one hand out towards the horizon, the Temple of Light, and then closed his fist tight as if he was imagining it was actually in the palm of his hand. "Once I've taken the Moor, the Guardians will weaken and I'll grow even stronger! And with an army of Gumm-Gumms on my side, who is there to stop me? The Human Trollhunter?" Pitch cackled again at his own joke.

"What is he talking about?" Rapunzel muttered out of the side of her mouth at Jim. She had no idea what was happening between Jim and all these Trolls. She vaguely remembered North telling them the Trollhunter was sort of a Guardian for Trolls, but he didn't go in-depth on it.

"It's a long story," Jim replied with a wince.

"I'm sure it will be a great story to hear _after_ we somehow manage to survive this." Elsa cut in, frost already coating her hands and wand.

"Right, get ready you two." Rapunzel told them, raising her wand as well.

"For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is Mine to Command!" Jim announced and with a blinding flash of blue light, he was suddenly encased in a set of glowing blue armor that Rapunzel recognized from the same night she'd faced Bular. Out of nowhere, a giant sword materialized into Jim's hand and he held it at a guard position with practiced ease.

"Do you really think you can win this fight? You're out of your league, children." Pitch's yellowed and pointed teeth glinted in the moonlight, but Rapunzel didn't let it shake her. She shoved away the fear that wanted to claw up her spine and lifted her chin.

"I Am Not Afraid of You!" She shouted back at him, and Pitch drew back a bit in surprise before scowling at her.

"Very well then, I see I'll have to teach you just how _Terrified_ you should be!" Pitch growled as Nightmares began to appear from the shadows on the edges of the clearing. "Take them!"

The Nightmares attacked.


	30. Castle

**Music:** "Castle" by Halsey

_NOTES!: "Clever as the Devil, and Twice as Pretty."_

**Chapter 30: Castle**

_She was falling. Down, down, down the garbage chute. A broken doll with no further purpose..._

Emma's eyes opened to reveal a high, high ceiling. A hospital of some kind by the smell of antiseptic and wilted flowers. She could hear distant and muffled screams and roars, the smell of smoke and blood slipped through the windows.

She slowly sat up in the bed, the thin covers crumbling down at her waist. The room was dark, all of the lights and candles were doused, and the curtains were drawn on all of the windows. One window near by, though, the curtains had fallen slightly open, revealing the dark orange glow and embers floating through the smoke-covered sky.

"We must get all of the patients out quickly!" Emma's head turned toward the door slowly, her mind feeling numb and blank. She could make out the shadows of a small group of women. Nurses.

"We must do this _quietly!_ We can't alert them that we're here." Grandma Frost reminded them firmly.

"Yes, Mistress." The younger nurse bowed her head, the other one following suit, and the head nurse directed them to the door.

"Hurry, now! Wake the children and get them out first. I'll start waking the adult wing! Mrs. Frost will you help them?" The elder nurse asked.

"Of course. I'll do all I can," Grandma Frost said as calmly as possibly, hoping to ease the fear of the young nurses who had never seen battle. The head nurse nodded to her gratefully before hurrying off.

Grandma Frost turned to enter the child's wing, but was met at the door by one of the younger nurses, flushed and fearful.

"Mrs. Frost! You must come quickly!" She whispered breathlessly. "Miss Frost, your granddaughter, she's -she's gone!"

Grandma Frost felt her heart skip a beat, and then she pushed passed the nurse as she rushed into the hall. All she found was an empty bed, the covers pushed back in a crumpled mess. Emma was nowhere to be seen.

The gasp escaped her before she could stop it, and Grandma Frost looked all around for her missing granddaughter, but the girl was nowhere to be found...

* * *

Emma walked along the cobblestone streets of the city. Fires blazed all around her, making the air thick with smoke. Nightmares and Trolls and other followers of Pitch like the Monkey King were attacking the city and surrounding areas, no doubt trying to press in wards towards the Seasonal Temples and the Heart of the Moor; The Temple of Light.

The hospital was located near a quiet residential area where there wasn't much fighting at all, so Emma walked the streets feeling nothing. She saw splotches of sticky oil and charred mushrooms and the ghosts of demented children...

Something on the tip of her nose broke through her state of suspension. She looked up and held out her hand. Snow? No... _Ash_.

She let her hand drop back to her side and, after a moment, she started walking again. She wasn't positive, but her gut told her she wasn't wrong about this one, so she kept following the path she was on. Ghost children wandering, lost, all around her.

When her feet finally stopped, she stood outside the train station. She looked up at the sign over the stairway-entrance to the underground train, and then looked at the stairs. There was a wall of ember-filled smoke on the stairs, preventing her from seeing the other side. She walked right into it, without a second thought, and in the next instant she was falling again...

Wind whipped passed her as she tumbled head over heels through the air, her vision slightly obscured by the doll head that the Toy Maker had placed over her head. She managed to right herself in the air, and a surge of energy exploded out around her, shattering the porcelain constraints as she slowed to a gentle float just before her feet touched the solid ground of the Infernal Train.

She straightened herself and took in her new surroundings. She wore a black and off-white, striped long-sleeved shirt and a simple brown skirt that had likely been given to her by her Grandmother while she was out of sorts in the hospital. She stood on a deck of sorts outside of the Train's cars, surrounded by looming, cathedral-like towers and fences. A red glow emanated from the windows and the very front of the Train where a giant, noxious black cloud billowed from. The Train was speeding along through Wonderland skies, destroying everything in it's wake. The rushing winds blew through Emma's hair, made hot by the Infernal Train, and on it Emma could hear the screams and battle cries of her friends; Hatter, the March Hare, Door Mouse, Mock Turtle, and Caterpillar. Even the Red Queen shrieked in resistance. In the sky, Emma could spot the birds and Caterpillar, in his new form, fighting against Ruins. She ducked her head as Gryphon flew passed over head, locked in battle with two flying Ruins as he roared in fury.

Emma looked back up in anguish, trying to spot her old friend through the smoke, but he was nowhere to be found. Squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head, Emma refocused and hurried towards the door that would lead her into the first car. She went inside and found plush seats and extravagant curtains draped over every window. On the right, she found two pieces of herself; one dressed in a brown dress with leather and metal bits and a long braid tied down her back, the other barefoot with a green-blue dress with coral and fish-bones and loose, bright red hair that flowed down to her waist.

"Curio! Spirit! We must stop this Infernal Train and the evil force that drives it." Emma stopped next to their seats and the two looked at each other before turning back to Emma.

"Everything's a nail, is it Miss Hammerhead? First it was your search for the Corruption, now it's the Train! Never time for tea. I suppose that's my fault, though." Curio said, slouched over and doubtful-looking. "While your brain's on holiday, we're all ruined! And that's a good excuse for everything going to hell in a teapot." She grumbled.

"We're all mad here, Curio, but that's no excuse for forgetting what your senses saw." Spirit put in with her softer voice, tilting her head at Emma. "Forgetting is just forgetting, except when it's not. Then it's called something else. I'd like to forget what we did, but I can't."

"I know I've made a lot of mistakes, and I didn't see what was happening right in front of me, but we still have a chance to fix this! Please! If you join with me, I can save Wonderland and maybe the Real World, too!" Emma pleaded with them, holding her hands out to them. They both looked at her and then nodded.

Their forms slowly melted into two balls of light, Curio into green and Spirit into blue. The lights swirled around each other as they shot towards Emma, hitting her right in the chest. She felt a surge of power flood through her as the lights merged into her and with the bright flash, the Train disappeared...

Emma found herself walking forward through the train station again, having passed through the smoke. She moved through another set of stairs to where the platform was, and before she even exited the entryway, she spotted him.

Claude Frollo stood on the platform alone, seemingly awaiting the train. His back was to her, but rage was boiling up in Emma's chest as she stood a few feet away from the man, her hands balled into tight fists that shook at her sides.

"You oozing sore of depravity!" She spat, taking satisfaction as the man started and snapped around to look at her. "Countless people missing and forgotten. Children wearing their names around their necks, as if they're breeding livestock!"

"A declaration of their pedigree, whether as warriors on the battlefield or Ladies of society. You could use one! The new generation is proud to display their provenance!" Frollo sniffed indifferently.

"You brute! You manipulate them into becoming sacrifices and prostitutes! When they won't be manipulated, you try to destroy them! How many minds have you twisted into forgetfulness?" Emma demanded.

"Not enough. Yours would have been a triumph. Still, you're an insane wreck. My work is done." Frollo smiled and it made her skin crawl as her stomach rolled. The fury inside of her grew hotter and hotter until her vision flashed with a bright white light...

She was back on the Train again. In a new car. This time she spotted another piece of herself on the left. One adorned in a blue and pink Kimono style dress and a high bun neatly placed on the top of her head.

"Come to receive your punishment, then?" Wisdom inquired.

"I know I'm guilty of something, but punishment never suits the victims of the crime." Emma bargained, hoping to find grace.

"Abuse is a crime the strong hold over the weak. And you're right. Abusers are insufficiently punished for the damage they do," Wisdom nodded, but then turned to her with hardened eyes. "Those who witness abuse without seeking retribution for the harmed pay a penalty. Your own pain mitigates your failure to act earlier, but you may not yet have paid enough for witnessing the pain of others."

"I understand. I know that my inaction makes me just a guilty, but I am acting now. We must do all we can to make up for lost time. Won't you help me?" Emma extended her hand to Wisdom, who's expression softened with a small smile.

"I am but a part of you. It would be in our best interests to be united." Wisdom's voice faded as she changed into a ball of purple light. It shot forward, circled around her head, and then faded into Emma's chest with another flash of light...

"You've used me, and abused me. But you will _Not_ destroy me!" Emma said, opening her eyes to find the Prime Minister standing in front of her again. Energy was burning under her skin.

"No? The damage is done. The old Emma Frost and her _Wonderland_ retreat are demolished. You can't even recognize what's happened. And you're powerless to change it or move against me." Frollo taunted her, folding his arms neatly over his chest. "I've made certain of that."...

Another flash of light blinded her and brought her back to the Train. Another car, and turning back to the right side, Emma found a piece of her heart. Dress in crimson with black and white and gold, long gloves and black hair that hung in a very short bob at her chin.

"Hearts, what is this Train's destination?" Emma asked, meeting the regal girl's eyes.

"Madness and Destruction. You really shouldn't ask questions you know the answers to, it's not polite." Hearts told her. "Father is gone now, and Jack's been blinded. Make your survival mean something, or we're all doomed!"

"But what can I do? If Dad failed... And Jack is too distracted to notice the lies... They're both so much stronger and smarter, what difference could I make?" Emma wondered.

"You must find your own strength. He chose you, after all, so you must have something." Hearts said, turning into a ball of bright red light. It went straight to Emma's heart as she remembered the Night Fury pendant that hung around her neck...

"You corrupted my memories, but you failed to make me forget!" Emma told him, blinking away the last of the red light to find her worlds colliding; Mushrooms and corruption, flowers with blade-like thorns and bubbling oil.

"You could have had a very simple and comfortable life, Miss Frost. I've heard of quite a few young gentlemen who would have loved to be considered a suitor to the raving delusional beauty. But you wouldn't forget. You wouldn't let it be. You insisted on holding on to your fantasies. You're Mad. Like your father." Frollo said, and angry shot through her.

"Don't you speak of him!" Emma shouted. "You didn't know him..."

"I knew him better than you, girl. He refused to let it be, also. Even the Guardians thought he was beyond his own mind." Frollo chuckled, showing more interest in his pocket watch than in their conversation. "He got what was coming to him, in the end..."

...The flash of rage that brought her back to the next Train car was so overwhelming it hurt. She had to take a few breaths to steady herself, forcing her eyes to stop swelling. When she finally opened her eyes, her last missing piece was sitting on the left side of the car, swinging her legs gently. She was dress in a patch-work dress of yellow and green and red and pink. She had matching golden ponytails on either side of her head and hummed quietly to herself.

"Faith," Emma murmured, stepping up beside the girl's seat. The brightly-colored girl looked up with a bright smile, but her eyes were red and her cheeks were stained by tear-tracks.

"Quite the mess, isn't it?" Faith asked, her smile wobbling slightly as she spoke.

"Yes, it is," Emma admitted. "But I'm not ready to give up yet." She held out her hand to the other girl, who looked at for just a moment before meeting Emma's eyes and nodding with determination.

"Neither am I." She grabbed Emma's hand and turned into a ball of yellow light, twirling around itself twice before merging into Emma as all the others before did.

A wave of energy and power washed over Emma, greater than all the ones before. Suddenly all of the lights reappeared together, swirling around her and filling her with power as they all combined. Emma's feet lifted off the ground as she floated, slowly turning with the fast moving lights all around her.

Suddenly it all came rushing back into her and she dropped to her knee on the floor of the Train car. Standing up straight, Emma relished the feeling of her old powers now back in her command; the Warrior who slayed the Jabberwocky. Her dress was a rich blue with a white apron draped over top with sturdy boots on her feet and a big white bow on her lower back. Her hair was black and fell down to her back, loose and free.

The Vorpal Blade flew out from it's place tucked within her skirts and presented itself before her, singing softly with a familiar and exhilarating ringing sound. As she reached up and took the blade, she remembered the words Cat spoke to her when she first accepted the Vorpal Blade;

_"You're a Diamond, Dear. They can't break you."_

Emma grinned, swiping her blade down to her side and heading straight towards the door. She shoved it open and found herself outside on another deck. Across the courtyard was a large set of ornate double doors that led into the engine room.

She walked up to the massive doors and threw her arms to the side, throwing open the doors with her mind, and they slammed against the walls on either side of the entrance, but Emma paid them little mind. She marched straight into the engine room, her fingertips itching and power simmering just underneath her skin. She stood in the center of the room and waited, sensing out the core of corruption that she knew was here.

A malicious cackle broke through the constant buzz of the roaring engine and battle cries outside. The ground began to shake and the entire back wall of the engine room was suddenly ripped away, revealing the Dollmaker's giant form.

His sleeves were gone, revealing that he had no arms and the only things keeping his hands attached to his torso were giant metal cords like puppeteer strings. Two smaller, arms stuck out of his hunched shoulder blades, and his eyes and mouth were nothing but blade pools of oozing oil. His scarred and bloodied hands flew over Emma's head threateningly as he grinned down out her.

"Hide in your shell!" He bellowed in a distorted and grating voice.

Emma gripped her Vorpal Blade tighter and braced herself as his hands started flying towards her. She lunged to the side as one slapped flat on the floor in an attempt to crush her, and the other hands was open and waiting for her, but Emma apparated through it with wind and fluttering wings. On the other side she whipped around and slashed the back of the left hand, smirking when the Dollmaker yanked it back in pain.

Angered, the Dollmaker swung his right hand sideways at her, trying to grab her, but Emma slid under his hand, throwing her head back to avoid colliding with it. The instant it passed her, she planted her feet again and lunged at the cords connecting the hand to the Dollmaker's torso. The Vorpal Blade struck, but it slide off with a loud clang and sparks flying. Emma landed hard on her feet and rolled, her head snapping up to glare at the magic-laced, metal-like cords. Her blade had no affect on them.

"Pathetic strikes like that won't have any affect on me." The Dollmaker cackled, both of his hands flying together to try and cage her into the middle, but Emma threw herself forward into another roll. His hands clapped together, creating a wave of sound and air that threw Emma off balance as she fell and rolled across the floor a few times.

She pushed herself back up to him reaching for her again. She jumped up and then used a burst of wind to give her another boost over the approaching hand. She landed in a crouch and then ran for the other end of the engine room, towards the Dollmaker's head and torso. He laughed and leaned back, pulling his hands up to hover above their battlefield again.

Emma slide to a stop with her back pressed against what was left of the wall directly below the Dollmaker, out of his sight. He didn't seem to concerned about this though and dropped his hands again. They landed on their fingertips and started crawling towards her from either side like giant spiders. Emma gritted her teeth as she tried to spot some kind of weakness on the limbs, but she couldn't see anything that she could use to her advantage.

The left hand raised up, making a blind grab in her direction, so Emma moved towards and jumped up on top of the index finger and then shoved off of it to back flip over the right hand behind her. The hands collided awkwardly, the right getting slightly tangled in the cords of the left, meanwhile Emma landed gracefully in a crouch with one leg extended for balance.

She looked at the hands as the Dollmaker struggled to right them, bringing them back into his view. She also looked up at the Dollmaker himself. His whole body was some deranged patchwork of crude stitches and different parts jammed together, she really didn't think he could even qualify as human anymore.

She wondered if the seams were his weakness and if she should focus her attacks on pulling him apart piece by piece, but her theory grew less and less likely as she compared the cords used for the stitching to the cords connecting his arms to his torso. She didn't think her blade would have much affect on the cord-stitches and she'd tire herself out long before she even got passed those troublesome hands if she tried to rip them apart

Looking up at his head again, Emma spotted something interesting; the Dollmaker's neck was mostly smooth and unblemished. Perhaps even this monstrosity had a vulnerability at it's throat. No way to cut it open with killing himself. Emma grinned to herself, fixing her eyes on that spot.

She ran forward, out of her hiding place, and the Dollmaker's eyes immediately turned on her. He threw his hands at her, one over the other, over the other, and over the other, but Emma continued to duck, weave, and jump through his attacks, apparating out of the way whenever he came too close for comfort and leaving nothing but a burst of wind in her wake.

When she could, Emma sliced at the seams littered across his hands, trying to cut through the thick cords that bound his appendages together. The Dollmaker winced or one of his hands would flinch away if she snagged a cord just right, but other than that he laughed at her efforts, mocking her.

"What useless antics. What do you hope to achieve?" He said, the use of his voice causing even more oil to poor from his mouth.

After rolling underneath his hand, Emma rolled to her feet and forced herself to stop moving for a full second. That was all it took for the Dollmaker to take the bait and grab her as she leaped into the air, her arms extended upward to avoid being caught as well.

The Dollmaker's hand closed around her, pinning her left arm to her side, but she'd managed to keep her right arm with her blade out of the way. He squeezed her whole body in his giant hand and brought her up to his face so they could look each other in the eyes.

"You should keep that pretty mouth of yours shut." The Dollmaker told her, his other hand hovering as if just waiting for the right moment to rip her head off her shoulders.

"You're probably right." Emma grunted, her ribs pressing into her lungs from the pressure as she grinned up at the Dollmaker. "But where's the fun in that?"

She raised her right arm and stabbed her blade deep into the flesh of his thumb. The Dollmaker gave a roar of pain, and Emma held on for dear life as his hand instinctively flicked itself down to try and shake off the pest that was biting him. When his hand raised back up again, Emma yanked her blade free and jumped towards his left hand that was heading straight to clasp over his other. She used the left hand as her final stepping stone as she leaped into the air, raising her relic blade high as she flew straight at the Dollmaker. He reared back, shocked by her attack, but that only opened him up further.

Emma's knife met flesh as she landed roughly on his collar bone, the Vorpal Blade digging into his neck. Bracing her hands, she ran across his collar bone, dragging the knife across his throat. The Dollmaker screamed and blackness oozed out of his sliced throat mixed with dark, dark red.

Emma ripped her blade free and then let herself fall backwards through the air as the Dollmaker's thrashed about, his screams becoming gurgling noises as he slowly collapsed on himself.

Emma kept falling through the air in slow motion as everything rushed around her, and she breathed, letting the blinding white light consume her...

Emma's eyes snapped open and she scowled at the Prime Minister. "I'll see you charged. In prison, some half-wit bruiser will make you his sweetheart, and then you'll hang!"

"Indeed? A hysterical woman with questionable mental health roaring outrageous accusations against a respectable leader of modern society. And who would believe you, Miss Frost? I scarcely believe it myself." He smiled, looking smug and amused by the situation, but Emma was fueled by the pounding adrenaline of battle.

"You monstrous creature! Such evil will be punished!" Emma said.

"By whom? By what? Psychotic, silly bitch. Your madness will be punished. Now leave! I've already taken everything I need from you." The Prime Minister smirked as he held up a vial full of blood.

Her blood.

Her fists clenched at her sides again as she realized he must have taken it while she was unconscious in the hospital. And now he stood there gloating, holding it out to inspect it as if wondering what made it so special. Emma couldn't say she knew herself, but seeing him with it pissed her off.

Emma moved to draw her wand, but the Prime Minister raised his, stopping her.

"Don't do anything stupid, girl." He said, his smirk widening as he continued. "Do the smart thing and walk away, unlike your father."

Emma clenched her teeth until her jaw ached. She turned away from the Prime Minister, squeezing her eyes shut as she heard him sniff and lower his arm. Her skin burned with rage and power rushed through her veins. She opened her eyes and turned back to the Prime Minister, brown turning into blue as her skirt flared out.

Frollo's eyes went wide and he took a step back as he stared at her, staggered by the sudden change.

Emma slipped her hand into her pocket where her wand was, pulling out the Vorpal Blade. She rushed at the Prime Minister with a shout, and he tried to raise his wand to attack her, but she ducked under it and shoved his arm upwards, causing the spell to explode part of the ceiling. The train shot passed in that moment, the whistle echoing and bouncing off the stone walls as Frollo fell to the ground of the platform, a thousands of tiny wings darting away from him on a breath of wind.

He looked at his hands, but the vial was missing. He searched the ground and then stood up and looked around himself, but he couldn't find the precious blood sample anywhere. His eyes looked up, the train cars still rushing passed, and in between them he could see a girl standing on the other side of the tracks. When the train passed completely, he saw it was Emma standing there; her blade gripped in her right hand by her side, and her left arm raised over head with the vial of blood in her grasp.

She met the Prime Minister's eyes, locking their gazes, and then she threw the vial onto the ground. The glass shattered and her blood splattered across the ground and onto her white apron, staining it with crimson splotches.

Claude Frollo scowled at her with such hatred she could practically feel it, and she smiled at him.

Falling back towards her heels, Emma let herself burst into a million butterflies and a rush of wind, apparating out of the train station and away from the Prime Minister. Outside, she took a breath and looked out towards the Seasonal Temples in the distance, the whole Moor burning all around them.

Frollo was right. She couldn't do much to prove the things he'd done, especially with her questionable background as of late, but she had at least managed to stop him from whatever he was currently planning with her blood. She'd have to bide her time and take him down later when she had the means to do so. For now she would focus on helping where she could, and the immediate threat was Pitch's attack on the Moor.

She started running, intent on getting to where the fighting was.

She'd been so wrong about everything. But now she was going to make it right, no matter what!


	31. Rise

**Music:** "Rise" by Katy Perry

_NOTES!: "If you don't think I'm a princess, then you're one hundred percent right. I'm the fucking Queen."_

**Chapter 31: Rise**

The air was thick with the scent of smoke and sweat and blood. Rapunzel blocked a Nightmare as it raced passed her and then shot at another, scattering the sand to the wind. Jim ran passed her, bringing his sword up to meet Bular's who snarled at the human boy. Jim ducked, letting the giant beast stumble forward from the sudden lack of resistance, and Jim slipped under to Bular's back, kicking him so the giant beast fell face first into the dirt. Elsa leaped over Bular, shooting a blast of ice out on either side of her to freeze his hands to the ground and then she met Strickler's dagger with her wand, iced over to make it stronger. Strickler growled at her for blocking his attack on the Trollhunter, but she grinned back and used her free hand to send him flying backwards with an ice blast.

Pitch rolled his eyes, still standing at the top of the bridge, and he broke apart into streams of billowing shadows that tumbled over each other as they flew into the air and then crashed down at the center of the courtyard, creating a shock-wave that caused everyone to be pushed back. Rapunzel braced her feet, her arms covering her face, and when she looked up again, Pitch was standing there.

"Pull yourself together, _Butcher_." Pitch snapped, blasting the ice traps on the Troll's hands, and Bular stood, shaking himself off. "Get that Trollhunter, and bring me your army!"

Bular snarled at Pitch, but turned to go after Jim who was still trying to shake off the stun from Pitch's blast. The boy pushed himself up into a seated position, rubbing his head, and then his eyes widened in horror as he spotted Bular charging at him.

" _Carpe Retractum_!" Rapunzel shouted, throwing her wand out in front of her as her body moved on it's own with a speed she didn't know she possessed. Streams of light flew out of the tip of her wand, tangling together, and attached themselves to Bular's arm, yanking him back and stopping him in his tracks.

"Meddling Witch!" Bular growled, trying to pull his arm free after glaring at Rapunzel, but she held on to the seize and pull charm with all the strength she had.

"Stay _Away_ From Him!" Rapunzel barked back, digging her feet into the earth as best she could as she leaned all of her weight backwards.

"Look out!" Elsa's scream reached Rapunzel's ears just as a blast of ice brushed past her ear in what felt like slow motion.

Rapunzel's head snapped around to where the ice blast had gone and spotted Gothel pushing herself off of the ground, clutching her frosted shoulder. Looking back at Elsa, Rapunzel found her cousin surrounded by Nightmares.

"Honestly!" Pitch rolled his eyes and then swung his arm in a huge arc, gathering black sand to create a giant scythe. He swung the blade down, slicing through Rapunzel's spell, and Bular yanked his arm free, stumbling but staying upright. Rapunzel fell backwards and hit the ground hard on her side as Gothel was getting to her feet.

"I'll crush all of your bones!" Bular spat, raising his fists at Rapunzel, but her lurched forward when Jim jumped onto his back, clinging to the giant beast by holding both ends of his sword around Bular's neck as the troll bucked.

"Jim, NO!" Rapunzel cried out, reaching out towards the boy, but a fist grabbed a handful of her short, brown hair and yanked her back, keeping her on her knees in the dirt.

"And where do you think you're going, Rapunzel?" Gothel sneered, grinning down at her and pulling out her wand, holding it to Rapunzel's neck.

Jim yelped as Bular finally grabbed him and threw him down onto the ground. Elsa looked over at him, but was too overwhelmed by the Nightmares to help. Bular loomed over the boy, and Jim's heart pounded in his chest, but then there was a flash of light behind Bular and something landed on the troll's head, causing him to flail about and scream as claws scratched at his eyes.

Jim watched, completely shocked, as a skin-and-bones cat dropped to the ground right in front of him. "Cat?" Jim said, staring at the creature as he recognized it. The cat locked gazes with him, and then darted off in the direction of the Temple of Light, the bright crystals within view even from this far into the maze. "Emma!" Jim whispered to himself, concern rising up in his chest, but before he could move, Bular slammed his fists on the ground and roared in Jim's face.

Acting instinctively, Jim's foot shot up, kicking him in the Gronk-nuks. "Rule Number Three!" Jim declared and then pushed back, rolling onto his feet and standing.

Bular snarled and, with one massive fist, swatted Jim away like a fly. Jim went flying across the clearing, hitting the side of the bridge and slumping down onto the ground. He shook his head and blinked slowly, dazed by the blow, but as Jim managed to come to, Strickler reappeared. Only now the teacher had the appearance of a green troll with a cape draped across his shoulders. Strickler started running at Jim, who hastily summoned his sword, and he and Strickler clashed in a stalemate.

"I'll give you an 'A' for effort, but you're going to fail this exam!" Strickler growled around much larger teeth as Jim shoved him away and scrambled up the bridge, trying to put space between them.

"Enough games! Take the amulet!" Bular yelled, charging at the bridge with thundering steps that seemed to slow as Rapunzel took a breath in.

"I'm going..." She said, answering Gothel's question. "To Protect my friends!" Rapunzel grabbed onto the wrist that was buried in her hair and flipped Gothel over her head, forcing the old hag to scream and drop her hold on Rapunzel's hair and her wand.

Just as Gothel hit the ground, a new figure exploded through one of the hedges, rolling across the ground on a spiked-spine. The blur of blue slammed into Bular, knocking the troll away until he skidded to a stop and roared, but he was met with a headbutt from the ball who turned out to be a blue troll. Their horns locked in a fierce stare down, their hands locked together in a wrestling match.

"I am Draal the Deadly, Son of Kanjigar, and you will suffer for my father's death!" The blue troll threatened, surprisingly calm despite his fiery war-face.

"Draal!" Jim cheered, grinning down at the new arrival.

"Blinky sent me to find you. The Moor has been overrun by Changelings, Goblins, and Nightmares!" Draal reported after he and Bular had pushed away from each other, circling each other, watching for the other to make the first move.

"Our forces are greater than you know, Trollhunter!" Strickler told Jim ominously, lunging at the boy who dodged out of the way over and over, blocking and parrying as he tried to find his footing.

"I'm coming, just hold on!" Elsa called out to him, fighting her way through the Nightmares. Trying to break free of them so she could go aid Jim.

Rapunzel started running towards the bridge, but Gothel stood and shot a fire spell at her feet, causing flames to roar up in between Rapunzel and her friends.

"You're not getting away from me that easy!" Gothel hissed, raising her wand to a dueling stance. Rapunzel did the same as she clenched her teeth together.

"Enough!" Pitch shouted, throwing his arms out to cast another giant wave of dark energy, throwing Rapunzel and Elsa off of their feet and onto the ground. Draal put his arm up to defend himself against the blast, but Bular took the opening to slam his fist into Draal's chin, sending the blue troll sprawling across the earth. Jim hit the back railing of the bridge, and Strickler grabbed the boy's arm, using his own hand to yank the amulet off of his chest.

Strickler dragged Jim over to the center of the bridge where the headstone was, Jim struggled and argued, but Strickler was stronger than him and forced Jim's hand to attach the amulet to the bridge.

"No, No, No!" Jim shouted as the amulet gave a pulse of energy, giving a ding as both clock-like bits pointed upwards.

Light spread out across the bridge with a brilliant flash, and then it began to glow a dark blue. Underneath the bridge, a portal opened, sucking in air and anything else unlucky enough to get pulled into it's trap.

"Not many people are lucky enough to say they were there when history was made!" Strickler grinned down at Jim, keeping him pinned to the bridge railing despite his struggles. "Nothing can stop his return!"

Pitch laughed, finally grinning widely up at the bridge, seemingly unaffected by the pull of the portal. Rapunzel looked back at the portal, noticing that the rush of wind being pulled in had snuffed out the flames behind her. Looking back at Gothel, she realized the witch had lowered her wand, a smug expression lighting her features, as if they'd already won.

Perhaps they had, but Rapunzel wasn't ready to give up just yet.

She whirled around and raced for the portal, darting right past Pitch and taking a jumping up onto Draal's back before throwing herself at the headstone in a giant leap. She clung to the bridge and wrapped her fingertips around the amulet as best she could, pulling and tugging on it. She could hear Strickler laughing, and Jim telling her to let go, but Rapunzel ignored all of them and focused all her energy on getting that amulet out of that rock.

Her arms hummed with energy as she pulled, her fingertips sparking as her magic flowed out into the amulet. The amulet responded. The magic in it compatible with her own, and for a moment her magic mingled with the amulet's, but when she commanded it to release, it paused for a moment and then rejected her. The amulet gave a massive pulse of energy, throwing Rapunzel back through the air and she landed hard on the ground to the point that she bounced.

Rapunzel struggled up onto her elbows to find Pitch cackling, bent over with glee, and then he straightened, turning his eyes onto her in amusement.

"Did you honestly think that would work? Honestly, what can you do to stop me? The weakest of the Guardians! The little healer who can't stomach a war? Don't make me laugh!" Pitch chuckled. "What are you? You're no fighter! You're no warrior! What a disgrace you are. Now, watch as I gather an army that will conquer the whole world with _Fear_ and _Darkness_!"

Draal screamed, running at the bridge and scaling up the side of it in spite of the heavy pull of the portal. He grabbed on to the amulet and pulled with all of his might. The amulet immediately rejected him and began giving off a massive surge of power and light and Rapunzel could feel pulsing from where she lay halfway across the clearing.

Shocked and distracted, Strickler loosened his hold on Jim as if to stop Draal, but Jim broke free and within the blink of an eye had their positions flipped. Jim pinned Strickler to the bridge, twisting his arm behind his back, but the boy's attention was on his friend.

"NO! Let go, Draal! Let go!" Jim called out to him, half a command and half a plea.

"No! No! Don't let him!" Bular shouted, starting toward the bridge.

Rapunzel watched in horror as Draal screamed, light bursting from the amulet as it fought against his pull. An explosion shook the ground of the clearing and dust billowed out in a giant cloud around all of them.

Rapunzel pressed herself into the ground as the energy wave of the amulet and the following cloud from the explosion passed over her. When everything was quiet, she blinked open her eyes, watching the dust settle as she searched for her friends. She found Elsa lay on her side off to her right, wincing in pain and not getting up from the ground just yet, but breathing.

"Huh? Draal!" Jim's voice crying out seemed to echo in the quiet of the maze. The boy darted out of the rubble of the collapsed bridge and fell to his knees beside Draal who had fallen just to the left and in front of Rapunzel.

The big blue troll wasn't moving at all, and his right arm, having turned to stone, crumbled to pieces where it lay stretched out in front of him. Jim retrieved the amulet from the shattered pieces with trembling hands and tears pooling in his eyes. His shoulders slumped in despair, but a groan from Draal made his head snap up towards the giant creature.

"I'd hand you the amulet, but..." Draal muttered, a small smirk gracing his features.

"You're Alive!" Jim beamed at him.

"Not for long!"

They all looked up to see Pitch standing before them with the most hate-filled expression Rapunzel had ever seen. Gothel was still shaking off the affects of the explosion like them and Strickler was nowhere to be found, but Bular was working himself into a rage over the rubble that was left of his precious bridge.

"Father!" He yelled, roaring angrily.

"Over and Over I find meddling little _Children_ getting in the way! You will pay for this! I will slaughter each and every one of you, and I will take pleasure in hearing all those you hold dear _Scream_ in terror and pain!" Pitch hissed at them, his glare sweeping over them all before leveling on Rapunzel. "Oh, and I have special plans for you! I'll make sure to keep you alive so you can see exactly how you've _Failed_ all of them!"

"I haven't failed them yet. And I won't stop fighting until they're safe!" Rapunzel argued.

"Oh, what Lies you speak! Look around you! Your _friends_ have fallen all around you! The Moor burns! You are powerless to stop any of it! You walk over the corpses of your _comrades_ because you are incapable!" Pitch spat mockingly. "The little Princess locked in her tower. You know very well you have no place in this war. Your _Guilt_ and _Fear_ betray you."

Pitch waved one hand about and his sand meshed together to form the image of Hiccup, and Rapunzel's heart constricted painfully in her chest as she looked away, squeezing her eyes shut.

Pitch was right. She was weak and helpless and maybe if she had been just a little... _More_ then maybe Hiccup would still be there. Maybe if she was stronger, faster, _Better_ , her friends wouldn't be in so much pain all around her now.

There were so many voices from Pitch and Gothel to Daren Fouls and her own father, each of them filling her with doubt. Her heart _Ached_ and her cheeks burned as tears dripped from her eyes. She saw images and memories of all the times people had gotten hurt because of her: Hiccup, Merida and Jack, Eugene, Elsa, Jim, Draal, and so many others. It made her breath rush in and out of her lungs as her blood raced through her veins with white-hot energy.

She could _Feel Life_ all around her. She could sense their _Pain_ and their _Joy_. Their very _Souls_.

But then something else broke through her thoughts. Jack and Merida assuring her and encouraging her through the whole tournament, Eugene believing in her and caring for her at the same time, the friendliness of Elsa and Jim despite their competitive relationship, Pascal staying up all night with her to help her pour over the clues she got from each trial. All of her friends and family with the love and warmth that they share filled her mind and overwhelmed the darkness, pushing it away.

A warmth in her hand caused Rapunzel to open her eyes and look down, opening her left fist to find a little yellow light laying in her palm. It gave her that same feeling of _Freedom_ from earlier, and a breath burst out of her as she smiled at it wetly. The light gave off soft mewing sounds and Rapunzel thought she spotted a pair of wings forming in the light, but they quickly disappeared.

"I am the Guardian of Nobility." Rapunzel said to herself, her voice soft as she forced back her tears, and then she raised her head, eyes fixed on Pitch and his subordinates. She forced herself to her knees, pushing herself to plant one foot and then the other, straightening and standing tall in the face of Darkness.

"I know who I am!" Rapunzel shouted at them, raising her head and clenching her fists. "I am the daughter of King Frederic and Queen Arianna, future Queen of Corona. I am a Healer and a Guardian. I may not be a fighter or warrior, but I am a _Protector_. I am made strong because I have my friends to support me. I stand for Loyalty, Devotion, and Righteousness! Nobility is walking ahead of everyone else to guide them and protect them. The Noble Hearted never walk over their comrades corpses because they go first into battle! They Lead. That is who I am! And so long as I'm breathing, I won't let you take anymore friends from me!"

Rapunzel's blood was rushing with _Fire_ and _Light_. She paused, her heart skipping a beat in the midst of its relentless pounding, there was noise all around her but she couldn't hear it. All she could hear was the forest. She could _Feel_ the life of the Moor, so vibrant and thriving even in the chaos and death that was fighting to conquer it.

If the Moor was still fighting, Rapunzel would too.

Light burst from Rapunzel chest, throwing her head back and arms out as her feet slowly lifted off of the ground. Streams of light flew out and all around her, a beam of brilliant gold stretching into the sky and breaking through the dark clouds that had blocked out the moon and stars.

Her skin was warm and tingled in a thrilling way. _Power_ surged through her veins and the light carved across her hands and arms in intricate patterns.

The light was blinding, but Rapunzel found comfort in the heat and pure _Life_ there. All of the energy seemed to compress inwards as the light began to retract towards her again, and Rapunzel gathered the strength vibrating through her bones and electrifying her muscles. She threw her arms out and the light rushed out all around her, causing Pitch to throw his arms up in defense as his forces were thrown back.

Rapunzel dropped to the ground on one knee, her long golden hair still glowing and reaching up into the sky. Slowly she stood and looked down. Her hands and forearms were covered in glowing marks of vines, leaves, and flowers. She looked up and around her, _Hearing_ and _Seeing_ everything in a new _Light_. She could _Feel_ all of the _Living Things_ around her.

It was a little overwhelming.

She stared at her hands, panting as thoughts and memories rushed through her mind and yet her thoughts were quiet and blank at the same time. One thought came to her in the silence, sticking out amongst all the noise, and she grinned.

Rapunzel lifted her chin and her right arm, grabbing a lock of her hair.

She threw her hair at Pitch, whose reaction time was slowed by his shock. Her hair wrapped around his torso, and Pitch looked down in horror before looking back up at Rapunzel again.

"Not again!" He gasped.

Rapunzel ignored him and yanked on her hair. She threw him over her head and slammed him into the ground on her other side, then threw him back to the other side. She dragged him across the earth, and then threw him, releasing her hair so he would go flying into the crumbled pieces of that damn bridge.

"Rapunzel!" Elsa exclaimed, grinning widely.

"She's amazing!" Jim cheered, laughing in disbelief.

"Stand up and get ready to fight!" Rapunzel told them. "This isn't over yet." She turned back to glare at Pitch and his forces who were standing up and gathering themselves. Elsa and Jim ran up to stand on either side of her, each brandishing their weapons. Rapunzel brought up her hands, taking a deep breath in as she gathered as much energy into her hands as possible, her new markings glowing so brightly that her hands were engulfed in light.

"This. Isn't. Possible!" Pitch screamed, flying out of the rubble and landing heavily on the earth across from Rapunzel. Rage had consumed his features as he glowered at her with utter loathing. He growled and then waved his arms, gathering his sand and Nightmares.

Both sides charged, screaming out battle cries.

Rapunzel went for Pitch, meeting his black sand with her light, her hair glowing so bright that it chased the shadows away from the edges of the clearing.

Elsa met Gothel, warding off the hag's curses by throwing up walls of ice before making her own attacks.

Jim and Bular clashed with their swords, the troll snarling and shouting at the boy who stood against him despite the odds.

Everything was a blur happening so fast and yet so slow at the same time. Rapunzel found herself mostly on the defensive, unsure of how this strange yet familiar power worked as Pitch fought with the confidence of a tried and true Sorcerer fueled by rage. Every once and a while she would manage an attack of her own, but the amount of strength behind the attack varied from too little to possibly too much as it would throw her backwards as well. Still, she fought with everything she had, meeting Pitch blow for blow and keeping his attention focused on her rather than on her friends.

Pitch yelled as he gathered dark energy into his palm, throwing his hand at her, but Rapunzel met the blast with one of her own. Gold and Black collided and the explosion caused both of them to go flying back, sliding across the dirt as they planted their feet. Pitch stayed upright, but Rapunzel slid to a stop and then dropped forward slightly, bracing one hand on the ground as she struggled to catch her breath.

Her gaze drifted beyond Pitch to where Bular had caught Jim in one massive fist and had slammed him against one of the pillars framing one of the entryways to the clearing.

"Oh, no -Jim!" Rapunzel called out to him, and Bular's eyes snapped over as he smirked in satisfaction.

"Just in time to see your Trollhunter slain!" Bular rumbled from deep in his throat.

Jim wiggled a bit, his lips moving slightly as he said something Rapunzel couldn't hear, and then his armor disappeared. Smaller now, he slipped from Bular's grasp and then recalled his armor as he threw his fist forward as his blade flashed into existence.

Bular froze, the blinding, flashing light protruding from his chest and back. The light gave a burst, growing bigger, and Bular screamed, dropping his sword as his mouth and eyes were filled with light. Jim walked him back towards the center of the clearing and then pulled away, summoning his sword at his side again as he watched the wound overtake Bular's left side.

"Now that's Daylight for you!" Jim crowed as Bular fell backwards and hit the ground with an echoing thud, crumbling into millions of little pieces.

"Impossible!" Pitch shouted, staring at the scene in disbelief.

His gaze snapped around as Gothel shrieked, having been thrown to the ground by a particularly strong blast from Elsa, who trotted up to stand beside Rapunzel and take up a fighting stance.

"You're alive!" They all turned, finding the path that Draal had reopened when he crashed into the clearing filled with people and Trolls. Toby Domzalski lead the group, running into the clearing, beaming towards his friend.

"Master Jim!" Cheered a Troll with four arms and six eyes who was grinning just as widely.

"Rapunzel!" Merida called out as she, Jack, Eugene, North, and Toothiana armed themselves, aiming their weapons at Pitch and Gothel. Rapunzel turned back to them, but found Pitch backing away with an increasingly angry expression.

"You may have won the battle, but this war has only just begun!" Pitch gave a final yell of frustration before gathering all of his shadows and Nightmares. He swept up Gothel in the swirl of darkness and apparated out of the maze.

"Rapunzel...?" Eugene's quiet voice broke through the silence that Pitch left behind, and Rapunzel looked back to find Merida and Jack staring at her with wide eyes alongside North and Toothiana.

Rapunzel looked down; her long, long, long golden hair had stopped glowing and lay on the ground as if it were back completely to normal, her hands and forearms had also stopped glowing but the markings of vines and leaves remained in darker tones, like the traditional henna tattoos of some tribes. She looked up at her shocked comrades again as North took a few steps forward, muttering something softly in Russian.

"Uh... hi," Rapunzel gave a tiny wave, chuckling nervously. What exactly was one supposed to say in this sort of situation? It's not like anyone had ever even considered such a thing happening. But here they were...

Rapunzel had _Changed_.

"North!" Toothiana flew forward, touching North's shoulder to bring him out of his shock, and then she continued to Rapunzel, holding both of her hands gently. "Rapunzel, I know this is all probably very overwhelming and frightening and confusing, and I promise we will do everything we can to help you, but right now we need to focus on getting out of here."

"What?" Elsa asked, stepping up beside Rapunzel.

"The shadows have taken the Seasonal Temples. Once they reach the Temple of Light, the Moor will fall and be overrun with darkness. Everyone is being evacuated as we speak." The six-eyed troll explained with a grim tone.

"Help Draal." A very, very large troll with green hair went galloping forward to where Jim was struggling to help Draal onto his feet. He took over supporting Draal, which allowed Jim to finally take a moment to rest, his armor disappearing.

"They're right, we have to go!" Merida nodded.

"And once everyone's out we can talk about how the heck you grew seventy feet of hair in the couple of hours since we last saw you!" Eugene remarked, smiling at Rapunzel with a mix of relief and concern.

Before any of them could make another move, the earth shook and from the very top of the Temple of Light came a giant burst of power, followed by a shock-wave of light that flew out in all directions, flooding the Moor and chasing away the shadows.

Lifting their heads after the wave had passed them, Rapunzel spotted the beacon of light shining even brighter than usual as all of the crystals were set alight by the brilliant source at the top.

"What just happened?" Rapunzel asked, wondering what had caused such a powerful surge.

They all looked at each other in confusion, but Rapunzel turned to look at Jim when she heard a quiet gasp. The boy was staring up at the temple with worry flooding into his eyes.

"Emma," He said, just before he went running towards the Temple of Light.


	32. A Small Voice

**Trigger Warning!:** Just wanted to throw out a Graphic Violence/Blood and Gore warning cause this chapter gets into it. Read with caution. If you're really worried you can message me and I'll see about sending out a censored version.

 **Music:** "Into the Unknown" Epic Instrumental by Frostudio Chambersonic

_NOTES!: "Turn on the light, it'll keep the monsters away. Oh, but what do you do... When the Monster... is You?"_

**Chapter 32: A Small Voice**

Percy had his back pressed against the stone wall at the back of his cell and kept his head down. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't so much sleeping as he was just dozing in and out of awareness.

They had taken Cat away early that morning and had yet to bring the boy back. Percy wondered if they would bring him back this time, or if he would just disappear without a trace.

His eyes snapped open at a rumbling noise followed by small tremors and dust falling from the ceiling. Within moments, Percy and the other soldiers were on their feet, listening to the distant shouts of guards and an alarm bell ringing somewhere in a different part of the compound. A group of guards ran passed, one of them questioning what was going on.

"We're being attacked by _Pirates_ of all people!" One of the younger guards cackled back.

As the group hurried on to get to their posts, Mr. Arrow reached out between the bars of his cell and grabbed the collar of one who was lagging behind the rest of the group. He yanked on the guard, slamming his head against the bars, and the man slumped to the ground with a slight groan. Mr. Arrow dropped to his knee beside the man and after a few moments stood up with a ring of keys in his hand.

"Alright!" Lance cheered as the paladins grinned, and Percy smirked at the slightly older Auror.

It didn't take Arrow long to unlock their cells, and as the younger paladins stretched and looked around warily, Shiro turned to Percy. "Weapons and any personal items will likely be held in the guards tower just off the East corridor." He said, "We might even manage to get a look at what's happening out there. Form a plan."

"Then let's get over there before someone decides to come checking up on things down here." Percy nodded.

They moved quickly and efficiently; being extra careful to not leave any traces beyond their empty cells. One of the perks of breaking out of prison with a group full of soldiers, Percy thought wryly as they climbed the stairwell of the tower.

As is the case with most prisons, the guard tower wasn't far from the prisoners' quarters and finding the storage room where they kept everything they'd taken from said prisoners was not very hard at all. The tower was not very well guarded as the compound was under attack, something they were quite blatantly reminded of when a canon ball smashed through a window and part of the wall in the stairwell and just barely missed them. Besides that, there weren't many troubles. The few guards that were left to watch over things were easily knocked out cold and stuffed in a broom closet.

They found the storage room at the very top of the tower, across the hall from the lookout deck. They all focused on finding their personal items, mainly; their wands. The organization was lazy, but mostly done by year rather than name, so while the paladins and Mr. Arrow focused their efforts towards the front of the room, Percy looked more towards the back. He dusted off a few labels, trying to read them, but after he pushed aside a small stack of boxes, he looked up and grinned.

His staff was leaned against a stack of boxes against the wall and reaching out and taking it in his hand filled him with a sense of power and excitement he hadn't experienced in a very long time.

He gave the staff a twirl between nimble fingers, and smirked when the staff-work came back to him like it hadn't even been a day. The Moon-shard at the top of his staff gave a faint glow, reflecting the slightly faster beat of his heart and the eagerness of his hands.

Stepping out and back towards the front of the room, he found Mr. Arrow and Hunk testing out their own weapons: Mr. Arrow his wand, and for Hunk his paladin bayard. Percy looked to Shiro, who had his back to him but turned when Percy stepped up next to him.

"All our weapons have been found and accounted for." He reported easily, and Percy couldn't help but chuckle at how formal he was.

"Hey, you guys should come see this!" Pidge called from somewhere across the hall, and the four men looked at each other before hurrying over to see what the other three had found.

Pidge, Keith, and Lance were standing at the giant window in the lookout deck, their eyes wide as they watched the battle waging below. Over twenty pirate ships fighting viciously against a much larger and much more powerful Ministry fleet. Somehow, those mismatched colors continued to fly and the pirates held their ground as they faced down their enemies.

"What could they possibly have to gain from this? How did they even find out about this place?" Pidge questioned, trying to analyze every detail of the fight despite being so far away.

"Nevermind that! Since when are Pirates this organized?" Lance wanted to know, both arms extending in his gesture of confusion.

"Do you think it's possible they've named a new King?" Hunk suggested, and the idea did spark an interest-filled silence, but Percy didn't see any benefit to standing around theorizing about it.

"Whatever it is, let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, alright? You lads get down to the docks and get a ship while everyone's distracted with the fight. If I'm not there to meet you before you're ready to shove off, then you leave without me." Percy told them, already turning to leave.

"Now hold on just a minute," Mr. Arrow said, catching Percy's arm in his large grasp before the Winter Sprite could get out of the room. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Cat was taken to Haggar and the other mages for experimentation in the Southern tower. You lads get out of here, I have to help the kid." Percy explained.

"You can't go alone. We're getting out of this all together, right lads?" Mr. Arrow scoffed at him, and the paladins nodded in agreement, determination set on their features.

"Alright, then." Percy relented, smirking at his companions.

* * *

There was so much _Pain_... And so much _Hurt_... He didn't know how long he'd been there, but it felt like eternity, and he'd give anything just to make it _Stop!_

Dark Magic was all around him, pressing down on him, clawing and tearing at his flesh, piercing his veins and muscles, bending his bones. The endless chanting of the five mages echoed in his ears, bouncing around inside his head along with screams and shrieks from the other voices.

Haggar and her underlings had created a Witch Circle with their runes and their _Corrupted Magic_. He was trapped in the center, the target of all their dark energy that was filling the circle from floor to ceiling. The purple glow blurred his already failing vision, and he screamed and cried, unable to even move from his place curled up on the floor, let alone fight back or try to get free.

"You... Will... _Obey_!" Haggar ground out between her teeth, forcing more of her power into the circle.

Hiccup screamed. He could feel each of them reaching for his magic, trying to grab hold of it, trying to force it under their will. They more they reached, the more he forced it back inside himself, repeating over and over in his mind; "Don't lose control! Don't lose control! Don't lose control!" A constant mantra amongst all the noise.

He was in so much _Pain_ , and there was so much _Confusion_ and _Anger_... But most of all he was _Afraid_. Afraid that if he lost control, he would hurt someone. Afraid that if they managed to pull his power out of him, he may never be able to pull it back inside. Afraid that they had no idea what sort of power they were messing with and in no way had any chance of controlling it.

His cheeks burned as tears spilled from his eyes, and he screamed again. His sight cut in and out, his ear clogging and hearing everything as if from underwater. His mouth and throat were dry like sand, and his whole body was shaking...

_And then he opened his eyes to find himself sitting on a stool in the Great Hall, looking out at a sea of students. A weight fell on his head and he stiffened as unfamiliar magic met his._

_"Ah, a young viking prince! But what's this? No taste for violence, I see? Much more thoughtful, like your mother, eh?" The Hat spoke, and Hiccup clenched his hands into fists to keep them from shaking._

_"Please, just put me in Hufflepuff. I need to stay out of trouble. For Dad." Hiccup replied, hoping that the Hat would take his opinion as a significant factor._

_"Mmm, I'll have you know, boy, that there are many different reasons I have for placing each student in the House that is best suited for them. Where they will do well." The Hat said, making Hiccup's stomach twist uncomfortably. "Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff have very little to teach to a mind as sharp as yours."_

_"Please, don't!" Hiccup begged, already knowing where he was going._

_"You'd do well in Ravenclaw." The Hat said simply._

_"Vikings don't get put in Ravenclaw! Not a single one! I Can't be in Ravenclaw!" Hiccup argued, trying very hard to stay calm as his heart was pounding in his chest. What would dad say? What would the people of Berk think?_

_"There was one." The Hat stated, and Hiccup froze. "He did great things. Terrible things. But great things, nonetheless."_

_"Please... Please, don't. There are some in my village who already believe I'm a demon." He tried to reason with the Sorting Hat, but the hum that followed was less than encouraging._

_"I do not make mistakes, lad. You will do well in... RAVENCLAW!"_

There was a flash of purple and a flicker of anguish, _but he was distracted by Rapunzel's tear-stained face as she ran away from the Great Hall, covered in what he hoped was chocolate pudding._

 _He and Jack called after her, trying to stop her, but she didn't listen. When they looked back at the scene, though, they found Merida glaring at Daren and his friends as they cackled. The fury that rushed into his veins was unexpected, and normally he would've found it terrifying, but in that moment, all that mattered was that Daren had attacked one of his friends. His_ Pack _._

_"Stupefy!"_

_With a flash he was standing in the hospital wing in the middle of the night. Jack and Merida were on either side of him, Rapunzel just in front of him, and Nana Gothel was standing a few feet away._ Anger _and_ Hate _rolled off of her as she spat and shrieked at them, but Hiccup barely heard any of her words._

 _The only thing he was aware of was the instinct to_ Protect _!_

_"Rapunzel, get behind me." He kept his voice low as he pulled her back, stepping between his Pack and their threat. A snarl sat at the back of his throat, but he pushed it back down._

_He heard their cries and worried tones, but he ignored the words. He raised his wand,_ Fight _winning over his_ Flight _as he glared at the hag that was ready to kill them in an instant._

 _His friends huddled closer, and Gothel raised her arm. Hiccup's muscles tensed, ready to fight, but the battle never came_...

There was a rush that left his stomach turning violently as he stood across from Macintosh in Dueling Club with Bunnymund counting off between them. Within moments the older boy was wailing on him with spells, and he could hear his friends cheering for him to win, but all he wanted to do was get out of it without hurting anyone. His eyes strained and his head throbbed as he tried so hard to stop That feeling. To stop That magic from rushing through his veins. But it was impossible.

He was never so thankful to hit the floor, thoroughly beaten with an oncoming migraine. He stayed curled up there until Comfort and Kindness overwhelmed his senses to the point where he was actually able to move...

Suddenly he was falling and hit a stone floor hard. Darkness stretched out in every direction, but it was Loud. He scrambled to his feet and a chain snagged around his neck, yanking him backwards. He shoved it off and scrambled away in the other direction, only to be met by a cage that was trying to close on him. He wriggled out just before it slammed shut, but then there were attacks. Cuts and bruises littered his body as he took blow after blow, his claws and teeth bared as he swung and drew blood too.

The stench of copper filled the air, and he roared at his only partially visible opponents that were faceless shadows. Outlines of former opponents.

A muzzle clamped over his mouth.

He gagged and struggled, but hands grabbed at him, holding him down as the wretched thing was secured behind his head. Tears burned trails down his cheeks as laughs and cackles grated his ears. He swiped up at his attackers, but his hands only found air.

He kicked upward and connected with something, and in the next heartbeat he managed to roll away, his hand immediately tearing at that awful contraption that was strapped to his head. He ripped it off, nearly taking out some of his own teeth with it, and stumbled away from it, tripping over his prosthetic and landing hard on his side.

He looked up, sensing people standing around him, and found them. Jack, Merida, and Rapunzel stood around him, but they weren't smiling. They were angry and their eyes were full of hate. They said nothing as they glared down at him, and then they turned from him. They started walking away into the darkness.

"No... Please, not again." He begged, reaching out to them. "Don't leave me behind, please! I can't do this on my own..." He whispered, his heart falling apart inside his chest to the sound of a thousand mirrors shattering.

But they were already gone. Vanished along with everything else. He was left alone in the Darkness, beaten and bruised. He pulled his arm back to him with what little strength he had left and curled into a tight ball just as his shoulders started to shake with the force of his sobs.

The silence and darkness stretched on forever, and it made him feel so small and lost. His stomach convulsed with each sharp breath as he pressed his forehead into the ground. His arms were wrapped tight around his middle, trying to hold himself together, and for a moment or two he was afraid if he let go, he'd fall to pieces.

The glow of a light and a gentle mewing made him pause for a second and then slowly lift his head. The light was white but filled with so many colors. It floated like a cloud of fog, almost like a wisp and the comparison caused another ache in his chest.

There was a shape in the fog, a very familiar shape, and it whistled softly to him.

"I hear you," he whispered and took a shaky breath. "And this time, I'm Listening."

The light whirred and then swirled around him a few times before darting off into the darkness, away from his past.

He lunged after it, his feet finding the ground of their own accord, and he Ran. He raced after the light, following it. The light was fast, leaving behind a trail as it flew through the air, and he forced his legs to move faster to keep up with it. To follow the music.

The _Fear_ and the _Hurt_ started to melt away, falling behind as he kept running. His heart soared with... _Happiness_ and _Exhilaration_ , and a laugh burst out of him as the air rushed through his air and over his cheeks.

The light started to get bigger and the ground changed from stone to glowing crystals. He watched the darkness above him light up with a million stars, finding constellations in the shapes of dragons. The constellations came to life, separating from the sky and flying free, all them heading in the same direction, but spinning around him and swooping low beside him. _Welcoming_ him.

For just a moment, in the middle of his running, everything slowed, but then his Left foot hit the ground and there was no metal clank. His bare feet slapped against the crystal floor, and he howled as the light he'd finally caught up to exploded into the figure of a Night Fury right beside him.

His spirit flew beside him as he raced along, not even noticing the glowing mist that made up his mysterious new foot. He just kept running.

The dragons around him all started diving, flying and disappearing into a wall of fog and mist that stretched to the sky and further than the eyes of a dragon could even see. They all vanished into the mist, and his spirit flew straight at the wall, but he skidded to a stop just outside and the Night Fury did too, looking back at him.

He stared at that wall of fog, the spirit watching him expectantly, and his lifted from his side as he started to reach towards it, but something stopped him.

A voice. A song...

He looked back. There was darkness and pain and screaming... but someone was calling to him. Someone needed him. Someone he knew...

"Emma!" He murmured as realization hit him and he stepped towards it. Beyond the strife, there was a light. At the top of a very large structure, it burned just bright enough for him to see. A little star.

He looked back at the wall of mist. The spirit was gone without a trace, and he released a breath as he started backing away. "I can't leave them behind..." He whispered. "I won't."

He paused and then turned away, running back the way he had come. Exhilaration was replaced by fear, but it wasn't paralyzing. It was driving. It pushed him forward because what he was running to was precious and in danger.

He felt the awkward jerk as his foot returned to a metal prosthetic. He endured the pain as he broke into that wave of chains and beatings and hurt because nothing mattered more in that moment than getting to that light.

There was a scream, and he growled, forcing his way through a particularly tough chain.

"Hold on, Emma!" He shouted, running up those steps as fast as he could. When he got closer, he leaped towards the light, reaching out towards it. "I'm coming!"

There was a blinding flash of white light, and for a moment he was just floating, but then his body was rushing towards the ground. He stretched out his front paws, claws out, and landed on the back of a massive creature made of stone.

Sensing Dark Magic, he clawed at the eyes of the beast, yowling angrily. If this monster had hurt Emma, he would make it pay dearly.

As the beast feel away, he leaped off of it, landing on the grass below. He looked up and came face to face with a boy he'd met briefly.

"Cat?" He murmured, speaking more to himself than anyone, and his eyes widened with recognition.

He didn't intend to wait for the boy, so Cat raced along the nearest pathway, heading straight towards the Temple of Light. His paws barely touched the ground as he forced his limbs to move as fast as he possibly could.

He leaped into the air, and with a puff and a shimmer of bronze, he found himself transported to the bottom of the Temple of Light. There was a massive burst of energy and a shock-wave of light that chased away the shadows clawing at the Moor's heart. The Light at the top of the Temple burned brighter, continuously fighting back against the Darkness, but Cat didn't care about that.

He raced up the steps of the temple and stopped a few feet away from Emma.

She was laying on the floor in front of the Light Crystal that was the main source of power from the Temple of Light. Her brown hair had turned grey and matted, she was pale and dark veins reached across her skin. She was dying, the last of her magic fading.

Her head turned to the side, falling on Cat, but her eyes were fuzzy and unfocused. She opened her mouth weakly, as if to say something, but no sound came out. Cat stepped forward and touched his nose to her head.

"You are very brave and loyal, little one." He murmured, pulling back slightly to look down at her. "I am sorry you had to shoulder this burden." He told her, knowing that he should have been there for her. He should have been protecting her.

He looked to the side and saw her wand fallen beside her. He touched it with the tip of his tail and it floated up until it was right in front of him.

"I will take the core of your magic to protect it from the Darkness." He told her, as her magic came out of her chest as little pieces of light, flying into her wand that slowly transformed into the Vorpal Blade. "Rest, and I will do all I can to restore you."

The black veins receded from her body, and though her grey hair and ashen complexion remained, her chest fell and rose with each breath. Cat took a deep breath, waving his tail to make the Vorpal Blade vanish to a safe hiding place, and then allowed his semi-physical form to blend into Emma.

Cat's skin rushed into Emma, creating armor around her Center, and just as quickly his consciousness within this body began to fade.

"Cat," Emma whispered, looking at him.

"Be safe." He told her, and then his connection was broken, and his consciousness rushed away from the scene before falling from high in the sky towards a dark tower filled with dark magic.

When he crashed back inside of himself, his magic exploded.

* * *

Hunk and Mr. Arrow ran at the door, slamming into it with their shoulders and the double doors nearly snapped off their hinges as they burst open, cracking and splintering in places. Shiro came in right behind them, ready for hand-to-hand combat against whatever opponents may be waiting, and Keith ducked in right behind him, but they both froze upon moving into the room.

"Holy shit," Pidge breathed, her eyes widening in fear as she peered around the corner to see inside the room. Percy looked at her and then pushed his way into the room, he stopped at the sight before him.

There was a Witch Circle, an ancient and barbaric practice, filled with purple-glowing dark magic. The runes burned so hot they were almost white and the dark energy crackling through the whole room made Percy's skin crawl.

But what made them all freeze was Cat. He was curled up in the middle of the circle, his whole body shaking and breathing hard. He was covered in blood and his eyes were wide but unfocused. The mages bodies lay around the circle; the head of one had exploded against the wall behind him, one was ripped limb-from-limb and bled out, another was cut in half at the waist, the fourth one was gutted by what looked like giant claws. The fifth was Haggar herself, and she was impaled by a black stone spear that had broken through the floor, her blood oozing down the stone.

Percy could hear someone retching behind him, and he couldn't really blame them given the sight.

"Did... Did Cat...?" Lance stuttered quietly, unable to speak what appeared to be reality.

No one moved for a long moment, the only noise in the room was Cat's breathing and the cracks of power from the Witch Circle. It was Cat's sob that broke Percy from his frozen state. He moved forward slowly, bending down to leave his staff on the floor before approaching, careful to step around the carnage.

"Cat? Can you hear me?" Percy called softly to the boy, not wanting to startle him.

"I didn't mean to... I tried..." He choked back, surprising Percy that he was still coherent. The boy looked up, revealing a tear-drenched face half-covered with blood and small fangs sticking out his top lip. There were no whites in his eyes, which Percy had learned quickly only happened when he was in some sort of distress or angry. "I tried to keep it in... I didn't wanna hurt anyone..."

"Cat, listen to me; this Witch Circle is an illegal form of magic because it is one of the highest forms of torture known to the Wizarding World. Whatever happened here, this was just self-defense." Percy told him, hoping to guage his current mental state.

"No, no it's my fault!" He muttered, shrinking in on himself even more. "I should've been better, I shouldn't have lost control! I leave nothing but destruction and death wherever I go! They're all right... I'm just a monster."

"Cat, you are not a monster!" Percy said, letting his voice come out a little louder to try and get some sense into the kid's head. "This isn't your fault! Just let us help you! We'll get you out of there and -!"

"DON'T YOU GET IT?!" Cat screamed, more tears rushing from his eyes. "This was me! I tried so hard not to hurt ANYONE, and just look around you! Every time I screw things up it just seems to get worse and worse. I'll only keep hurting people... Please. Just let me die." Cat begged, his head falling back down as he hugged himself tight.

"Percy, that circle is unstable and could blow at any second. We need to get out of here!" Pidge hissed after looking over the condition of the spell left uncontrolled because of the dead castors.

"Not without him." Percy said, keeping his eyes on Cat. "I know you must be in a lot of pain right now, and I don't know what your story is, but I can't even imagine how someone so determined to protect people can be a Monster."

Cat froze for a moment, and Percy was happy to see that he'd caught his attention.

"These people, and others like them, they won't stop at you. They will continue hurting people; taking and taking until there is no one left to fight. Seeing evil and doing nothing to stop it is just as bad as actively participating in it." Percy told him firmly, and Cat struggled to lift his head again. "You've seen nothing but suffering, and I'm sorry for that Cat, but don't let them win. Don't let someone else tell you who you are! Don't be ashamed or afraid of yourself. Stand up and Fight!"

"But it hurts so much..." Cat said, looking far too tired and worn for a child of his age.

"I'll help you." Percy assured him, smiling. "You aren't alone, Cat."

Cat looked up and met Percy's eyes. The man was happy to see that despite the exhaustion and pain that covered his features, there was still a fire somewhere inside him, causing a spark in his eyes.

They may have beaten him, but they couldn't break him.

Cat opened his mouth to speak, but he ended up screaming in agony as the dark energy intensified and the runes surrounding him burned brighter. Percy called out to him, but he didn't think the boy could hear him.

"The circle is collapsing in on itself!" Pidge told them.

"We have to get him out of there! Now!" Lance shouted.

"But how? That much energy would kill any normal person, I don't even know how Cat's still alive!" Hunk stressed.

"What if we could cancel it out somehow?" Shiro demanded.

"With what? We don't have anything strong enough to stand up to raw power like that!" Pidge responded.

"Maybe not cancel it out, but at least buy some time." Percy told them. "Get ready to pull us out!"

"Percy, what the hell are you doing?" Keith yelled, but before any of the others could stop him, Percy covered his arm in a thick layer of frost and shoved it against the dark energy.

It was like slamming his hand against a wall of packed sand. Slowly, his fingers pressed through the wall of dark energy, followed by his hand, and then his arm. Percy groaned as the dark magic burned his flesh, but he pushed forward, until his face was nearly touching the wall as his arm reached in all the way up to the shoulder.

"Cat! Take my hand!" He shouted, and Cat looked up at him, his eyes widening when he managed to look up fully. Percy grinned at him through the pain, and continued reaching out to him.

Slowly, Cat somehow forced himself to move, reaching out to Percy with his left arm since the rest of his body seemed to weak to fight against the circle's power any more. Percy strained his arm even further as their fingertips brushed, and then Cat reached just far enough so that Percy could grab hold on his wrist.

"GET DOWN!" Arrow commanded just as Percy pulled Cat out of the circle.

The runes burned even brighter, and then the circle imploded, crushing inward before bursting in a large explosion that sent them all flying backwards. The whole tower shook, the windows shattered, and smoke flooded the room as an overwhelming heat washed over them. Percy hit the ground hard, but quickly turned to cover Cat who had landed next to him.

When the dust finally settled, they began sitting up, checking themselves to make sure all their limbs were intact. Percy noted that Cat was covered in blood and soot, but still managed to sit up mostly. They got to their feet and Percy offered Cat his hand.

"Can you walk?" Percy asked as he pulled the boy onto his feet, helping him to steady.

"I think so." He nodded, though he was shaking.

"That explosion compromised the structure of the tower. We need to get a move on." Pidge insisted as Hunk and Keith cleared a large beam from the doorway.

"Let's get out of here then." Percy smiled at his companions, ignoring Arrow's exasperated look to check to make sure Cat was steady enough to walk on his own. When Cat nodded, Percy's smile widened. "Maybe we'll manage to find out why the Pirates are so pissed off at Frollo."

"Pirates?" Cat started, his eyes snapping up to Percy's and he looked back at him.

"Hm? Well, it's not us attacking this place. Do you know anything about this?" Arrow asked him.

"Uh..." Cat hesitated, but a shriek split the air and Percy felt the hair rise on the back of his neck.

"Was that what I think it was?" Shiro questioned as they all look out the busted windows.

"Yeah, yeah that definitely sounded like a dragon to me." Lance agreed nervously.

"Not just any dragon." Percy felt all of the air rush out of his lungs.

"A Night Fury." Cat said, his eyes glowing.


	33. Daughter of the Moon

**Music:** "Daughter of the Moon" by Adriana Figueroa (super talented youtube artist, please go check her out!)

_NOTES: "Sometimes following your heart means losing your mind."_

**Chapter 33: Daughter of the Moon**

Emma found her way to the courtyard outside of the grand maze that was being used for the final task. If she thought the other parts of town looked bad, this was an absolute nightmare; a literal war-zone.

Changeling trolls were locked in fierce battles with more experienced fighters both wizard and wilder. Goblins ran about, chasing after younglings and mobbing grown adults. Nightmares galloped across the grounds, destroying and trampling anything that got in their way. A few Dark Wizards hidden by masks fought alongside the Monkey King as they raided the Moor.

The people weren't just running away, though. Fairies, Sprites, Elves, Dwarves, half-giants, and other wilder-creatures of the Moor were banding together to fight off the attack right beside the teachers from all three schools, except for a missing few. Emma couldn't see Jack or Merida anywhere, but who she did find was AAARRRGH! and Blinky fighting off a hoard of goblins while behind them, Toby was being backed into a corner by a large armored troll.

Emma darted forward, racing at the creature and slashing her blade up it's back in a fatal blow that caused the troll to turn to stone and grumble. Toby looked up at her, surprised and then his mouth dropped open.

"Whaaaaaa?" Toby gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

"We need to find Jim. If there are trolls here, he'll be in trouble." Emma told him, holding out her hand to him. Toby snapped out of his daze, taking her hand as she helped him up.

"Emma, what happened?! You were in the hospital! They said you were totally out of it! But now you're here in the middle of a battle and you look... _Different_." Toby paused and then offered the best term he could find. "I mean _Really Cool_ , but what the heck? What's with the new dress and your hair and where did that kitchen knife come from?" Toby babbled.

"Old trick. You guys aren't the only ones with a few surprises up your sleeves." Emma smirked, resting her hand on her hip, then she turned serious as AAARRRGH! and Blinky ran up to them.

"Thank Deya you're both alright! We must find Master Jim, quickly! I believe the Guardians are on their way to rescue the Champions as we speak. We should join them." Blinky said.

"But what about the Moor? Sure, finding Pitch and stopping him is important, but if his shadows take the Moor he'll only get that much more powerful!" Emma pointed out.

"My dear Emma, I'm afraid the Moor may already be lost. Queen Clarion and the elders have ordered a full evacuation. We must gather our allies and flee." Blinky explained, and Emma's face scrunched in anger.

"So that's it? We give up and run away?" Emma demanded, and Blinky laid two of his four hands on her shoulders.

"Your heart is admirable, Emma, but there are some fights that you cannot win. For now it is best for us to save who we can and live to fight another day." He told her, and she knew there was wisdom in his words, but it didn't mean she liked it.

"Shadows already at Temples. Moor will fall soon." AAARRRGH! warned them, glaring at the distant peaks of the five temples.

Dark Shadows rolled and billowed at the bottom, lighting with electricity and dark magic as the lights of the Seasonal Temples began to dim, being swallowed up first since they were smaller and less powerful. Emma felt her heart jump and pound in her chest.

The Moon was bright and full somewhere behind those dark clouds.

"We must make haste! There is no time to lose if we are to help Professor North and the others rescue our dear Trollhunter and the other Champions." Blinky insisted, but just as he turned around and got the words out of his mouth, another voice cut in.

"Oh, I'd be more worried about myself if I were you right now."

Emma and Toby turned around to find a tall, woman-troll with dual blades and a sinister grin as she leered at them. Emma drew her own sword and took a wide stance, facing off with the other warrior female.

"Go! I'll hold her off." Emma told the others. She _needed_ to fight.

"Are you crazy?! That's Nomura! A super deadly, assassin Changeling who nearly killed Jim and me! We can't leave you by yourself with her!" Toby freaked.

"You can, and you will! The Guardians won't make it through the maze fast enough on their own. They'll need Blinky's brain to get them through all the traps. So go!" Emma snapped back.

"Oh? Feisty, eh? I think this might be fun!" Nomura lunged, swinging one blade followed by the other.

Emma jumped to the side with the first swing. She blocked the second one, but she stumbled backwards, and Nomura followed her by bringing both blades down at the same time. Emma caught the attack with her own knife and their steel met in a stalemate.

"Dangerous," AAARRRGH! rumbled, making a move to join in.

"Emma!" Toby shouted.

"GO!" Emma shouted back, before throwing them a small smile for encouragement. "I'll be right behind you." Then she turned her full attention to Nomura and used all of her strength to throw her off with a yell.

They stood off again, and Emma could see her friends out of the corner of her eye. They all hesitated until, one by one, they hurried off towards the maze. Blinky was right, there was no time to lose, so they didn't have a choice and couldn't argue with her, though she did catch Toby's parting words;

"Kick her butt, Emma!"

Emma grinned as she took a few steps to the side, following the circling motion of Nomura as she whistled a tune that Emma recognized.

"Peer Gynt?" Emma questioned. Nomura perked up at that, skeptical.

"You know the play?" Nomura raised an eyebrow.

"I've read it after a recommendation from my mentor. I'm not one for operas, but I learned how to play the score on the piano." Emma shrugged, pointing her sword at Nomura. "Music is a passion of mine."

Nomura cackled merrily at that, "A warrior with a taste for finer arts! It will be such a shame to kill you."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing." Emma smirked back.

Their swords clashed within an instant, both giving their all as they traded blows back and forth. It became apparent quite quickly that while Emma was doing fairly well to hold her own, Nomura was far more experienced with strength and height adding to her advantages. Her dual swords were mere blurs in the air as she sliced at Emma. The young witch wasn't an amateur with her Vorpal Blade, but she could admit when she was losing a battle, and as she struggled to parry each blow, her mind searched for a strategy.

"Is this how the pacifists of Hogwarts fight?" Nomura asked as she advanced, swinging and twirling with deadly elegance.

Emma continued blocking each attack, but a particularly hard swing knocked her whole body to the side and a sharp kick to her side sent her sprawling across the dirt. Nomura chuckled, looming over her as Emma slowly pushed herself onto her elbows, lifting her head.

Across the clearing from them a group of Goblins were holding onto a medium sized contraption that was essentially a ring of strange stones, but there was some kind of condensed portal in the middle. More goblins would climb through the portal and join the growing group eagerly in destroying and rampaging. Emma glanced at her Vorpal Blade and then back at the portal, a thought coming to her.

She froze through, feeling Nomura standing over her.

"A shame really. I expected this to be more fun." Nomura lamented as she raised one sword, ready to drive it through Emma's body.

"Don't count me out yet!" Emma snapped, turning suddenly and slamming her foot into Nomura's stomach.

The troll fell back with a groan of pain as Emma scrambled to her feet, racing towards the goblins and their strange portal. Nomura was hot on Emma's heels, swiping at her as she barely managed to get out of range each time. Nomura threw one of her blades, but Emma ducked and it struck the ground right in her path, causing the girl to stumble to the side as Nomura lunged to the other side.

Despite knowing that the much faster, much stronger, troll was right behind her, Emma kept trying to run. She felt Nomura grab her ankle, one of her hands wrapping easily around Emma's emaciated limb. Emma fell forward, landing hard on her elbow. Looking back, she saw Nomura grin as she slowly started prowling forward. Turning back, Emma grabbed her blade and threw it as hard as she could.

The Goblins gasped and scattered when the knife shattered when of the glowing green crystals on the top of the ring. The portal in the middle stuttered, and then the artifact released a surge of raw power, creating a much bigger tear in their physical dimension that gave a massive pull in towards itself, sucking in everything around it. Emma turned back to find Nomura looking at it in fear, and she smirked, kicking Nomura's unprotected chin, the troll lost her grip and footing on the ground, falling into the pull of the growing tear.

Nomura screamed as Emma pressed herself down into the earth, squeezing her eyes shut as the portal pulled Nomura in and then collapsed in on itself until there was nothing left and the strange ring dropped to the ground, the broken stone sparking with loose energy.

Emma looked up, panting with relief as she sagged down, letting herself rest for a moment before forcing herself onto her feet and brushing herself off. She looked around the clearing to find it mostly empty, the fighting having moved out beyond it's barriers as the shadows continued to advance.

There was nothing but destruction and death all around her. The stars and the moon completely blocked out by the dark, billowing clouds. Her eyes drifted back to the Seasonal Temples, the four smaller temples having already been overtaken by darkness as the light seemed to fade from all of nature. The Temple of Light, standing tall at the center of all the chaos, was being circled and clawed at by growing shadows and dark magic.

She looked at the maze where Toby and the others had gone to help the Guardians, but she squeezed her eyes shut in frustration as her head bent forward, her fists clenching at her sides. She opened her eyes and found the Vorpal Blade gripped tightly in her right hand. She tilted it and found her reflection staring back at her. She took a deep breath and looked back up at the bright white light of the Temple.

She had to do something. She had to at least _Try_.

She started running. Her feet moving as fast as she could make them go as she raced towards the Temple. Ash and embers fell around her as fires burned and people screamed. Roars of battle echoed off of the cobblestone streets stained with blood. She ducked and dodged her way around several fights and attacks as she kept running towards the Light.

She reached the upper terrace of the viewing garden and stopped, staring out at the desolation of a place that had been so beautiful just a few hours before. Her heart was pounding inside of her chest, and her lungs burned as each breath was dragged in and out. The shadows were slowly crawling further and further up the Temple's walls and it made her heart ache. She looked around and behind her, she found the whole city laid out before her, burning.

Beyond it lay the sea, reflecting only darkness as the clouds covered the sky.

A breeze came up from the coast, bringing the scent of smoke and fire, but also the ocean. She closed her eyes and lifted her chin, her hair fluttering slightly with the wind as she took in that scent, pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling.

_"You're Mad. Bonkers. Off Your Head. But I'll tell you a secret; All the Best People Are."_

His voice echoed through her mind, and she opened her eyes as she took in a shaky breath. Her heart squeezed when there was still only blackness in the sky above, wishing with all her heart that she could go back to that night when she got to fly for the first time. When he took her flying and she didn't feel afraid. The sky had been so bright then. So full of stars.

Things were so terribly different now. She was older, but she felt so much more unsure of herself after all the mistakes she'd made. She was stronger, but she was so scared her hands were shaking at her sides. Back then she'd believed she knew what would come and that she was already prepared for it, but now that the time had come, realization hit her like a stone.

 _"Why fit in, when you were born to stand out?"_ His voice whispered through her mind in distant memories, and it helped her straighten her back as she turned back towards the Temple of Light.

She knew what she had to do to save the Light, and she knew that it would leave her vulnerable to the corruption inside of her that had yet to heal from her battle with the Dollmaker. At best the corruption would overcome her and she'd become a Fearling, or it would consume her Center, the core of her magic, and kill her.

Still, she walked forward. She descended the stairs into the courtyard where the Champion's Ball had been held, passing by the place where she had stopped to talk with the Champion's and their dates. She crossed the wide expanse where the dance floor had been, her footsteps slow but loud in the quiet of the deserted space.

She paused at the bottom of the massive set of stairs leading to the very top of the Temple and looked up. She swallowed silently, took another breath, and then started climbing the steps up towards the Light.

She was numb walking up those stairs and when she reached the top, she found the inside of the Temple to be even more beautiful and magnificent than the outside. The inner walls were an endless mosaic of crystals of all colors, reflecting light in a rainbow of brilliance. There were four entrances opening to each of the four Seasonal Temples and lining up with a wide pathway straight from the open archway to the center of the Temple where the Moor's Light burned brightly; a pure white light that floated in the very middle of the Temple, giving life.

In the four corners of the rooms, between each pathway, were pools of crystal clear water that mirror the light on their surface. The bottom of the pools were decorated with colored tiles that depicted Sea Lions swimming about playfully and it made Emma smile sadly.

She turned and looked back at the sea, the city burning in between her and the ocean. Her heart had calmed mostly, but now her mind was racing with thoughts and memories, the voices of people she held most dear.

 _"Well, that went well! That has to be a new record!"_ She blinked rapidly as her eyes swelled, memories of hanging out with Vanellope and Cupcake flashing through her mind; laughing together.

She turned her back to the burning city and set her eyes on the Light. It took a lot of effort, but she somehow managed to force her feet to walk forward. It was very slow, and her heart constricted with each step, but she kept walking.

 _"I swear if you leap from that table again, Emma, I'll expire! I've told you a thousand times not to climb on it."_ Mother scolding her was pretty frequent as she had a habit of getting into trouble, but the fondness in her eyes always took away the bite from her words.

_"MAMA! Jack and Cat are wrestling inside again -Hmph!" Emma was suddenly cut off as Jack threw his hand over her mouth, looking nervously at the stairs_

_"Okay, okay! If you promise not to tell mom, I'll let you come with us!" Jack told her, lowering his voice a bit._

_"And?" Emma asked, smirking and crossing her arms._

_Jack glared at her, pursing his lips. "...And we'll get you Ice Cream!"_

_"And?" Emma said again, drawing it out this time as her sly look got bigger. Jack huffed angrily._

_"Fine." He caved. "And you can have my desserts for a month. Happy?"_

_"Yep!"_

_"She's as devious as my little brothers!" Merida gaped, sharing a look with Rapunzel of both shock and amusement._

_"Like brother, like sister." Hiccup remarked._

The corners of her lips tipped up at remembering her brother and his friends who had all become like family over just a short time. They'd always welcomed her and never left her out or behind. It made the small smile wobble uncontrollably before it had even really fully began.

She felt the tears spill over and down her cheeks as her mind flashed with all of the mistakes she'd made; from trusting Antonio to being so blinded by herself that she couldn't see Pitch preparing to raid the Moor. More tears rushed down her cheeks as she started questioning all of her decisions, everything she'd done to protect her master and friend.

 _"Are you lost?"_ A small, wet laugh burst from her as brighter thoughts filled her mind. Just so _Bright_ and _Warm_.

"I'm Jim, and this is my best friend Toby," Jim and Toby's smiles flashed through her mind. She remembered all the time they'd spent together this year and how much fun it had all been. It was exactly what she had dreamed of when she was a child and Jack told her about the wonderful friends he had made at Hogwarts. Sure, her friends had taken a bit longer to find, and they didn't go to the same school, but one day they traveled a winding road and came her way. She found the friendship she hoped she would.

_"You're not scared?"_

_"Why should I be?...I trust you,"_

She stopped at the edge of the dais that the Light floated above. There were several steps up, and Emma stared up at the Light from the bottom, her hands shaking and her heart pounding again.

_"You know you can still walk away..." He whispered._

_"I don't want to. You promised to teach me, remember?" Emma replied quietly._

_Hiccup chuckled dryly. "Yeah. I remember." He nodded. "Which is why I'm giving you the chance to turn back now while you can. The promise you're making, Emma, it can be a heavy burden..."_

She had been so confident, so sure. Looking back now, she'd even say arrogant.

_"I know. But I believe in you." Emma told him, and then looked at him with a silent question in her eyes. "...Did you mean what you said? About me being different?"_

_"Do you believe in me?"_

_"Every word." Hiccup said._

She took a breath and steeled herself, opening her eyes to the Light. She had made a promise, and she'd stay true.

She took one step at a time, walking up towards the Light that was fighting so hard to save the dying Moor. The shadows had reached the inside of the Temple and were stretching forward, dulling the lights and colors of the crystals and fogging the water as Darkness reached towards the Light, ready to suffocate it.

She lifted her blade, pointing it skyward towards the Light, and her magic began to flow from her Center through her Vorpal Blade and into the Light. The ball of power and life gave a small pulse, the initial gift of added strength giving it a start, and then it start pulling on Emma's strength, taking the offered magic into itself.

A massive burst of energy and the intense burning of the Light that followed made Emma's eyes burn until she had to squeeze them shut in pain, her tears blown away by the wind created by the sheer force of nature. She yelled out as her magic slipped away from her, fueling the Light to give it the strength it needed to overcome the Darkness.

The Vorpal Blade hummed and vibrated, turning white hot with all of the energy being channeled through it and it burned her hand, but Emma forced herself to grip tighter and shove her arm even higher up towards the Light. Her whole body was trembling, and her breath rushed out of her lungs. She was so cold, and the corruption she had fought so hard started reaching up her arm towards her blade, the only part of herself she could will herself to see.

Her eyes slowly looked out towards the Moor, the expanse of forest and mountains and ocean beyond became clear as the Darkness was chased away. Her breathing stuttered and she gasped in a breath, holding it as another tear slipped down her cheek.

The Moor would live, and that's what mattered.

As the shadows retreated, and the Light burned so bright that the other Temples began to glow again too, the corruption inside of Emma grew, reforming it's strength and reaching for her unprotected Center. Pain rushed through her whole body, and she screamed.

The Light finally settled, and Emma fell backwards, falling flat on her back. She heard her blade clatter across the smooth marble floor, but didn't have the strength to look for it. Her arms lay limp out by her sides, her brilliant blue skirt returned to a dull brown rumpled and splayed. Each breath took so much effort.

She heard movement, and she urged her head to fall to the side, her eyes finding Cat standing there, not far from her. Her heart lifted, though it did hurt her chest a little, but the edges of her vision were dark and his form was fuzzy. She opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't have the strength to force any sounds to come out. Cat stepped forward and touched his nose to her head.

"You are very brave and loyal, little one." He murmured, pulling back slightly to look down at her. "I am sorry you had to shoulder this burden." He told her, his eyes filled with regret and despair.

Emma wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault, that the choice was her's to make, but she just couldn't find the energy to speak. His head turned to the side, looking at something she couldn't see, but then her wand flew into her vision, hovering right in front of him.

"I will take the core of your magic to protect it from the Darkness." He told her, and as he spoke, she felt a rush through her chest that filled her lungs and emptied her chest at the same time. She watched as fragmented pieces of her magic floated out from her heart and into her wand that slowly transformed into the Vorpal Blade. "Rest, and I will do all I can to restore you."

Black sludge slowly oozed back down her veins, making her skin crawl as it receded back into the depths of her behind a newly forming barrier. Her breath came easier despite her exhaustion. Cat waved his tail and the Vorpal Blade vanished, but then his semi-physical form began to warp and flicker, fading as it slowly disintegrated into Emma.

Cat's skin rushed into her, creating armor around her Center, and just as quickly as he'd come, he began to fade away. The only parts remaining were a vague outline of amber stripes and bright green eyes.

"Cat," Emma whispered, looking at him and wanting to reach out to him.

"Be safe." He told her, and then he was gone.

Emma desperately tried to hold on, but the exhaustion and the darkness around the edges of her eyes had finally caught up to her, and everything went black.


	34. I Don't Think Now Is The Best Time!

**Music:** "I Don't Think Now Is The Best Time!" from _Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End_

_NOTES!: The Release or Restraint of Emotions Both have Destructive Properties._

**Chapter 34: I Don't Think Now Is The Best Time!**

Getting out of Azkaban wasn't particularly difficult as the majority of it's forces were focused on the full frontal assault of the Pirates, but there were still some guards here and there that required dealing with in order for them to get through quickly and quietly. Shiro and Keith, being the most skilled with hand-to-hand combat, went ahead, scouting their route as everyone else followed close behind. Hunk kept an eye on Cat, steadying him when he swayed and helping him to walk occasionally. Percy brought up the rear of the group, watching over everyone and making sure they weren't seen or followed.

When they finally managed to find a way outside, it was onto one of the mid-level terraces, giving them a spectacular view of the battle as a cannon ball flew past them, missing Pidge only by a hair as Shiro dragged her back by the scruff.

"I can see the ship yard!" Hunk exclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Yeah, but there aren't any ships down there! What are we gonna do?" Lance questioned, his voice ridden with panic.

"He's right. All of the ships are engaging in battle. The most we'll be able to find is perhaps a life boat." Arrow grumbled with a heavy sigh.

"If we can't find a ship, we'll just have to take one. We can get out to one of those ships and catch the crew by surprise." Percy said, eying the positions of the ships from the high vantage point, hoping to find one lingering behind that was small enough for them to sail on their own.

"And while we're at it why not just jump into battle alongside the pirates?! That's a suicide mission!" Arrow growled back.

"So is staying here and doing nothing." Keith argued.

"Cat, do you know any of those ships? Any of them remotely friendly with you?" Shiro looked at Cat, but he was already looking out at the sea. At the pirate ships. His eyes were glowing a bright green.

"He's out there." Cat muttered, his brain still feeling fuzzy, but he was coherent enough to Feel his _Twin-Flame_. "He's looking for me."

"Who's out there? Is he bad? Should we be worried?" Hunk questioned, still supporting most of Cat's weight.

"No... I have to get to him!" Cat tried to explain, but his mouth wouldn't form the words. He tried to step away from Hunk, towards where he could Feel the _Desperate_ and _Fear_ and _Fury_ , but his leg gave out the moment he put his weight on it and Hunk lurched forward to catch him.

"Easy, Cat! You're still hurt!" Hunk said, but Cat was already trying to force his feet to plant themselves, pushing himself to stand on his own.

"We can't jump into a fight against an entire battle ship of Ministry soldiers, especially not with Cat being so out of it." Lance worried, and Keith put a hand on Lance's shoulder, to which the blue paladin looked back to meet his eyes.

"I'm fine," Cat bit out between clenched teeth as he pushed away from Hunk and onto his wobbly legs. He somehow managed to stay upright, but his face twisted with pain.

"You can't just throw yourself into a fight after almost dying!" Pidge snapped at him.

"Since when is that a rule?" Cat retorted, but it lost some of it's potency when he gripped his mid-section with a wince at a sudden throb.

"Pidge is right, you're in no condition to fight. Just let us handle this." Keith told him.

Before Cat could pull himself together enough to argue with them more, a roar split the air, making all of the soldiers around him tense. Their gazes snapped to the sky, anxiously looking and listening for any signs of fearsome beasts. Cat, though, had an entire breath of air rush into his lungs as his heart leaped inside of his chest just so it could free fall back into his rib-cage.

"He's calling to me... He senses me too." Cat's lips wobbled at the corners as _Hope_ and _Love_ came bursting through his chest. He wanted to shout and sob all at the same time.

"The _Dragon_?!" Lance exclaimed, his face twisting in confusion and disbelief.

"GUYS LOOK OUT!" Hunk suddenly screamed, pointing up at the sky as a giant boulder came flying towards them.

They all dove off to the sides, and the boulder crashed into another large chunk of wall where the cannon ball had hit. The tower rumbled and wobbled, and debris came crashing down around them as they scrambled to get out of the way.

"Another hit like that and this whole watch tower will come down on us! Let's move!" Shiro shouted.

No one wasted time arguing. They all took the stairs three to four at a time, moving as fast as their bodies, and injuries in some cases, would allow them to. When they finally reached the docks there were only damaged or half-sunken vessels left, but among them were also some small paddle boats.

"I can't believe I'm going along with this!" Arrow rumbled as they each jumped into one of the small boats and situated themselves well enough to be able to maneuver it properly.

Cat sat himself at the bow, looking out at the treacherous battle ahead where he could sense his Twin-Flame, their pack, and even his newer pirate comrades fighting with everything they had. He was satisfied to see that multiple ministry ships had already been sunk, but none of the Pirate vessels had been taken yet.

The voices of the soldiers faded from his ears as he closed his eyes and focused on the link he shared with Toothless. He reached out with his magic, pulling at his dragon's own. The Night Fury responded by actively feeding his energy and strength into Cat, helping him to heal faster. Cat also knew that his Dragon-Half would be using their bond to try and locate him in the chaos of the battle.

Shiro directed the team towards a smaller vessel that was just inside the outer ring of ships that were large, defensive boats. The small ship was for cargo, providing arrows and cannon materials for the battle cruisers, but it had a few canons for defense. Slipping in unnoticed by the fleet's defenses was fairly easy as all of the lookouts were likely focused on the battle and the Pirate ships causing them such strife.

They moved in close in the shadow of the ship, stopping only when the found a low enough hanging rope. Hunk and Arrow gave a boost to Keith and then Lance so they could reach the rope and climb up to the top of the ship. There were a couple of thumps and a groan or two, and then another rope was thrown over the edge of the ship, allowing the rest of them to climb up onto the ship.

Cat was reminded of several times he'd done this before as he realized just over the railing were a few stacks of barrels that provided them enough cover to remain hidden, even with two knocked out guards. A few glances and nods were exchanged, and then chaos erupted as they all leaped out from their hiding place and lunged at the first person they saw.

Shiro tried to grab Cat's scruff and yank him back from joining the fight, but with the borrowed energy fueling his magic he managed to move fast enough to avoid the soldier's grasp. He was fully focused on the the sailor closest to him, raising a sword and giving a shout of alarm that rang out with all the others. Cat ducked around the downward slash of the blade and grabbed hold of the sailor's shirt, using his momentum to throw the sailor into the mast with enough force to bang his head and knock him out.

Cat scooped up the fallen sword and jumped into the fray of battle alongside the Paladins and two Aurors. They were outnumbered by quite a lot, but somehow managed to hold their own, thanks in large part due to the element of surprise at the beginning of their attack.

The clanging of swords, the cries of battle, the echoes of canon fire, the groans of wounded fighters; it all roared in Cat's ears as he clashed and clawed with Ministry sailors coming at them from all sides. It was eight against a twenty man crew with spells flying back and forth. The Paladins wands, known as bayards, were specially crafted, morphing between wand form and a specialized weapon to fit their individual fighting styles. Percy was armed with his staff, showing off a mastery of staff forms both in regular combat and spell casting. Arrow was armed by his classic wand and a sword taken off one of the fallen Ministry sailors.

Cat put his energy into his blade work, pushing away the heat that rose in his chest with his magic. His insides still felt raw from his earlier loss of control and whenever his magic flared up like a flame, his mind flashed with images of blood and bodies. Recent memories and old nightmares blended together, and he had to force himself to shake it off as another sailor lunged at him, clanging their sword against his so hard it made his arms ache.

There were shouts from other near by ships as they realized what was happening aboard one of their own, and from the closest vessel a few sailors took to the ropes to swing over and join in on the fight.

A curse flew at Cat's head, and he barely managed to duck out of the way, but he rounded on the castor, lifting his hand and throwing back a jinx without even thinking. The sailor flew backwards, landing on the ground between two sailors who looked at him and then looked up at Cat, confused and angry. Cat growled, running at them and attacking with his sword.

The battle was bloody and chaotic. Cat and the others did their best to stay close to each other, which wasn't too hard on such a small boat, but they did take up several different positions on the ship, mostly on the upper deck and directly below it.

Shiro was pinned against the railing of the upper deck by a particularly large sailor, but managed to get a good right hook in on the sailor's chin. The sailor wouldn't tumbling down the stairs as Shiro looked over the edge of the ship, his eyes widening.

"They're pouring oil into the sea!" He called out to Arrow and Percy who were also on the top deck, but both Aurors were a bit busy with their own opponents.

"There's too many!" Hunk called out from the lower deck after slamming the hilt of his splitting maul on a sailors head. Watching the sailor crumble, Hunk took a few steps back to be back to back with Pidge.

"Every time we take one down another one appears!" Pidge agreed, using her blade and cord to strangle, trip, and cut into her opponents.

Keith and Lance were near the stairs; Keith using his sword and Lance using a bow with arrows made of magic-based energy. Keith managed to kick an opponent off of himself, and Lance came around from behind him, firing an arrow into the enemy's chest. Another sailor tried to run up behind them to attack Lance from behind, but found himself impaled by Keith's sword instead. The sailor fell and Keith pulled his sword out, ready to get on with the fight, but Lance grabbed his arm.

"Keith... In case we don't make it out of this... Well, I..." Lance looked off to the side, his hand falling as he got nervous.

Keith looked at him for a long moment, and then grabbed both sides of Lance's face, yanking into a kiss. Lance's eyes went wide and then slid shut as he relaxed against Keith for just a few heartbeats, and Keith pulled away, looking at Lance fondly. "Me too." He said.

A sailor yelled as he leaped at them from over the railing of the stairs, but he was stopped mid-air by Pidge's grappling hook bouncing off the side of his head, sending him sprawling into the wall.

"I really don't think now is the best time!" Pidge snapped at her comrades as she retracted her bayard.

"Are they always like this? Or is it just the life or death situation?" Cat wanted to know, blocking an attack aim at his neck and then slashing across his assailant's torso.

"All the time! And you owe me twenty gold pieces Pidge!" Hunk replied, using the axe side of his maul to break a sailor's spear into pieces before smirking at his shorter comrade.

"Hunk, if we make it out of this and they own up to their confession, I'll double what I owe you." Pidge swore, winding up her arm and slamming her bayard into the jaw of another sailor.

It didn't take long for the growing numbers of Ministry sailors to back the eight refugees into a corner on the upper deck. Percy, Shiro, and Arrow pushed the younger members of the group towards the back, facing their grinning enemies with iron-clad resolve.

"No where left to run and out numbered five-to-one!" The head of the group sneered as the others laughed and shouted.

Behind Cat and his new friends, the oil that had been poured into the water was set ablaze. Fire burst up from the waters' surface, heat pressing at their backs as the sailors moved towards them. With nowhere to go, the paladins, the two Aurors, and Cat all readied the weapons they had, not willing to go down without a fight. Cat gritted his teeth. Lance reached out and grabbed hold of Keith's hand.

"Hold together. If we die, we die like men!" Percy told them, a noble commander to the very end.

The leader of the sailors raised his sword, pointing it at them, and he opened his mouth, but before any sound could come out a furious roar echoed from directly behind them. Cat's head snapped around, and he saw Toothless leap out of the flames like a hound out of Helheim; teeth bared, eyes glowing, and nostrils smoking.

The Night Fury landed on the deck between the sailors and the escaped prisoners, and he hackles rose as high as they could as a piercing whistle warned of a charging blast.

"NIGHT FURY!" Someone screamed.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Another shrieked.

There was another roar that was more grating but still higher in pitch, and in the next instant Cat watched in what felt like slow motion as Hookfang swooped down on the sailors, grabbing two of them in his powerful talons and yanking them off the ground. Talia, dressed in all her Pirate King glory, used Grimbeard's sword as a wand to fire a spell at the nearest enemy that created a pretty bright flash.

The two were gone in a flash, and their opponents were scrambling to get away as the Monstrous Nightmare threw the two men he'd grabbed into the sea and then began circling above the ship again. Cat grinned up at them.

"Did I just see what I think I just saw? Did anybody else see that? That was a Pirate, who is also a Witch, riding a dragon!? Was that even real?!" Hunk babbled, confused and dumbfounded.

"What are you talking about, I couldn't see anything except that bright flash!" Lance threw him a confused look as well.

"I was a bit distracted by the deadly Night Fury standing right in front of us!" Keith replied, his eyes still fixed on every move that Toothless made, though the dragon wasn't facing them.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? HOW WAS I THE ONLY ONE WHO SAW THAT?!" Hunk exclaimed, his jaw dropping open in shock.

"Let it go, Hunk, we'll talk about it later!" Shiro ordered.

"Don't worry. They're friendly." Cat told them, and then he shifted his weight forward, running towards Toothless. His Twin-Flame looked back, sensing his approach, and his glowing eyes softened into large pupils filled with _Relief_ and _Happy_ and _Love_.

Hiccup crashed into Toothless, wrapping his arms tight around his neck in a hug and burying his face into the familiar scales as one large wing wrapped around him, protecting him from the world. Toothless was ranting, growling and hissing at him. Lecturing him to never do anything like that again, how terrified he'd been when he couldn't sense their bond, that Hiccup would be lucky if Toothless ever let him out of his sight ever again for being so incredibly stupid. Hiccup wasn't entirely listening though. His attention was on the sound of Toothless's voice, the way every growl rumbled through his throat, the way their Magics intertwined so naturally and fueled each other. He focused on the _Warm_ and _Safe_ and _Love_ that was just oh so strong, and he didn't care that he was shaking a few tears fell.

All he needed to know was that it was _Real_.

Toothless circled him, poking and prodding with his nose as he sniffed him and checked over each injury, every smudge of filth, and all of the blood that wasn't his. The Night Fury's thoughts and feelings rushed through the bond in an almost overwhelming amount, but Hiccup was too happy to Feel them to care.

Yelling made them both jump into defensive positions, whirling towards the noise, but an icy blast knocked the charging sailor off of his feet and over the railing of the ship into the fiery ocean. Hiccup and Toothless looked over at Percy, to find him breathing hard but okay for the most part. The paladins and Arrow had their wide eyes fixated on them.

"Mind explaining what's going on?" Shiro questioned, his mouth forming a twitchy smile, his fingers shaking but his feet firmly planted.

Roars had them all looking out onto the battlefield. Hiccup's heart skipped a beat, seeing his whole pack in the sky, fighting relentlessly against the Ministry fleet alongside the pirates, turning the odds in their favor, even. He knew it wouldn't last unless they had some form of direction to the air attack and that meant it was crucial for him and Toothless to get in the air. All things considered it was probably why Talia and Hookfang were still circling high above.

"I have to go," Cat said, tearing his eyes away from the fight long enough to look at the soldiers. "They need me. You guys should get out of here while you can!" He turned, swinging up into his saddle as Toothless purred.

"Cat, Wait!" Cat froze, Percy holding onto his arm with an extremely familiar look of determination on his face. "Is this what you want? You don't have to keep fighting. I know Fairy Tales have let you down in the past, but maybe I could help change that... We would all fight for you, if you wanted." Percy told him, motioning behind him to the paladins and Arrow, who all smiled and nodded in agreement.

Cat looked at them for a long moment, and then his eyes fell to Percy's hand on his arm; a firm grip, but nothing forceful. The choice was his to make, but he already knew his decision. Along with Percy's familiar looking face came a familiar warmth in his chest; a bond of friendship. _Ohana_.

"Thank you, all of you," Cat said to them, and he could see that they knew what was coming. It wasn't a surprise to him or them. "But I can't go with you. There's a few battles that I still need to fight, but you don't have to worry about me. I'm not fighting alone." Cat assured them, glancing upwards at a antsy Monstrous Nightmare's belly. "I never have." He added, dropping his gaze to meet Toothless's and placing his free hand on his _Twin-Flame's_ head.

"Can't say I'm surprised," Percy sighed, releasing his arm and taking a step back before grinning up at him in a way that made Hiccup's heart twist with the ache of familiarity. "I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for. At least try to stay out of trouble while you're out there, alright?"

Cat laughed. "I'm a Pirate! Trouble is an Occupational Hazard."

"Well, then, maybe your friend there can be the responsible one." Pidge joked, and Toothless snorted.

" _I already am!_ " Toothless said, and Cat rolled his eyes at him, but he sobered as a thought came to mind and turned back to Percy.

"Could you do something for me?" Cat asked, and the Sprite nodded, his full attention on the Dragon Boy. "Just tell them... Tell them Hiccup is sorry. For everything." Cat swallowed hard and, after a short pause, the Auror nodded to him. Knowing he could trust Percy to do what was best with his message, Hiccup tapped Toothless's side. They locked gazes, turned and lowered down just before leaping into the air, and shooting into the sky.

"Who the heck is Hiccup?" Lance wanted to know as they all watched the boy and his Night Fury climbing higher and higher into the air.

A rush so big Cat thought his heart would explode filled up his chest as he _Finally_ tasted _Freedom_ once again. The wind brushing through his hair, his dragon's warm scales beneath his fingertips, the salty ocean spray on the breeze.

"Let's go!" Talia called out to him as she and Hookfang swooped around them and off towards the fight. Cat gave a whoop as he and Toothless barrel-rolled after them and then flipped in a dive towards one of the smaller ships, that piercing shriek filling the air.

Cat took a breath, all noise fading away for about a second, and then the main mast of their targeted ship was blown to pieces in a big explosion, setting flame to the remaining sails. Toothless roared with excitement and a sound like crashing waves came up from the crowds below; the pirates cheering and yelling battle cries, righting with renewed vigor...

The echoing sounds carried all the way to the very highest tower of Azkaban prison where the Prime Minister, Claude Frollo, looked on in disgust. His fists shook at his sides as he scowled at the Pirates. _Pirates_ of all things! That had somehow managed to gain the alliance of a Dragon Boy and all his beasts, charm their ships against fire, and engage his entire fleet with their pathetic numbers and somehow be _Winning_!

Frollo turned, looking back at the slaughter he'd found upon returning to Haggar's laboratory. Where he should have found his mages working to subdue a wild Dragon Boy, he found all of his greatest scientist dead. Their blood covering the floor, and what should have been his greatest achievement escaping alongside those damned soldiers he should have gotten rid of long ago!

Percy Frost, the bastard, had all of the information to ruin him. All the man needed was the slightest bit of proof, and everything would come crashing down. That damned Sprite just couldn't leave well enough alone. He had to come and seek out who was using the dark magic. So what if a few experiments went wrong? If a few test subjects got loose? The need of the many outweigh the need of the few, and Frollo had no intention of shying away from _Power_ like those coward Guardians.

Frollo stalked into what little remained of Haggar's workshop and search through bottles and containers. He threw glass jars to the ground, letting the shatter, swept aside containers and wooden herb grinders with his arm. He searched until he found exactly what he was looking for, and he grinned at it.

He walked back to the gaping hole in the side of the tower, the ocean winds rushing up and around him with an icy chill, making his cloak billow. His grip tightened on the small bottle as he glared down at the ships below. Even from so far away he could make out the colorful sails of the mismatched Pirate fleet and a single Ministry vessel that had turned on it's own under the command of half a crew.

Frollo was going to make sure those refugees never saw beyond the horizon. The things they knew would die here today with them, and he didn't care who else he had to sacrifice to get rid of them. He would destroy the meddling Aurors and troublesome paladins. And if his Dragon Boy died too, well then, better dead than in anyone else's hands.

Yes, he was going to rid himself of all his most bothersome foes in one move.

Frollo yanked the cork off of the bottle and then tipped it over, spilling the Darkness inside out into the air. Several Dark wisps tumbled down, down, down the length of the tower, shadows that grew and grew, unconstrained and uncontrolled...

Three arrows shot passed them on their right side, missing only by a hair as they rolled left. Hiccup pressed closer to Toothless as they spun towards the flames and ships below. Using their speed, they ducked under two large nets that were catapulted at them, letting the nets tangle in one ship's sails and the other landing on the deck of the opposite ship, pinning half of it's crew.

Just before hitting the water, Toothless snapped his wings out, causing the flames and a spray of water to flare out around them as they streaked along the surface of the sea, weaving between the ships as fast as they could.

Hiccup closed his eyes, following Toothless's cues for their movements and letting his senses extend out around them. Finding the BlueBlazer, his eyes snapped open, and he steered both himself and Toothless towards the ship his heart and mind now knew as a place of safety and comfort.

They shot out of the clump of ships, angling themselves more upwards, just as Hookfang and Stormfly swooped downwards, heading in the same direction. From Hookfang's back, Talia beamed at him, and Cat smiled back as Meatlug and Barf-Belch rejoined them to complete their pack.

They all circled and then settled on different parts of the blue-sailed ship. Meatlug and Stormfly took the main mast, looking down at them in between dropping fire and shooting spines at their enemies. Barf-Belch circled, helping to ward off ships as they were still in the very center of all the fighting. Hookfang and Toothless took the deck, lowering down to let their riders onto their own feet.

Cat's foot and prosthetic hit the deck, and his knees wobbled as he took a deep breath, but before he could even process any of it, he was grabbed into a tight, tight hug. Talia had her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders, and it was startling to realize that she had to reach just slightly upwards to do it. But her heart was pounding so hard he could feel it, so he didn't bring it up, and he chose not to mention the dampness on his neck where Talia's head was buried.

"Cat!" Eret was at their side in the next instant, pulling them both into his arms and lifting them both up with how tight he hugged them.

"Guys! Can't breathe!" Cat gasped, at least partly joking, grinning down at them. Eret responded by setting them down and grabbing onto Cat's shoulders.

"What the hell were thinking?" Eret sounded breathless, and when Cat locked eyed with him, he realized a truth that weighed heavy on his shoulders: Eret hadn't expected to find him alive. "The Prime Minister is a hard man, Cat," Eret said. "But I guess you figured that out for yourself." His eyes darted downward, and Cat didn't even chance following his gaze. He knew what bloody mess he would find, and he didn't think his stomach could handle it.

"I'm sorry," Cat blurted out without even thinking, but the tears were already spilling over and his whole body felt so heavy and so, so tired. "I just didn't want you all to die for me. I wanted to keep you safe..." His voice cracked and gave out before he finished, and hearing his own words brought him back to a night two years ago. The first time he tried to protect those closest to him.

"We can discuss it more later," Talia said, resting a hand on Cat's shoulder. "Right now we have a fight to finish."

"CAPTAIN!" There were several screams, echoing from different ships and from the crow's nest above their heads.

Eret, Talia, and Cat all snapped around to look ahead of their ship. Cat's stomach dropped as the sky grew dark with heavy clouds, and a piercing cold spread out across the battlefield, putting out the fires with chilling winds.

Hundreds of dementors were flying out into the air, coming from Azkaban. Dark creatures that hungered for the happiness and souls of any living creature. Born of Dark Magic so foul it would make Pitch's Nightmares tremble. Screams echoed throughout a now deathly silent battlefield as both Ministry and Pirate ships began to fall victim to a wave of darkness carried by soul-sucking monsters.

"What are those things?!" No-Name shrieked, shaking as he watched the dementors draw closer.

"Cat, are those...?" Talia whispered.

"Yeah," He nodded back without taking his eyes off of their approaching doom.

"What? What is it?" Eret demanded.

"Those are Dementors. They're the most foul creatures to have ever existed, they destroy everything in their paths, and... And there's no way to fight them." Cat told him. "The only person who's ever faced one and lived is Professor Sandman. A Sorcerer of Dreams."

"So what do we do?" Eret asked, seemingly to grasp the concept of _VERY BAD STUFF_ very quickly. Cat and Talia looked at each other, and then back to Eret, no words coming forth and no clever tricks coming to mind. Eret's face paled, looking back at the tower. "He's gone _mad!_ That bastard is willing to kill his entire fleet just to win."

"LOOK OUT!" Someone from a nearby ship screamed.

"HERE THEY COME!" One of their own crew shouted.

Talia's arm shot sideways, the back of her hand slapping against Hiccup's wrist in her hurry to grab his hand, squeezing it tight.

"Get down, both of you!" Eret ordered, grabbing them both and pushing them down onto the deck. They all dropped to their knees as Eret covered them with his larger frame. Toothless cried out as he slipped around them too, wrapping all three of them in his wings.

And then the Darkness hit them like a wave. Screams of pain and terror echoed all around them as the Dementors flew everywhere, more than Cat could count. Toothless roared, trying to ward off the Dementors, but the oppressive Darkness they brought with them was even too much for the dragons as they whined and curled in on themselves at the _Pain_ and _Evil_ grating against all of their senses.

One Dementor finally swiped at Toothless, pushing him back enough that another managed to slip in and bite at Eret's soul, making him cry out in agony. More of them came, and quickly Talia and Cat also felt the sheer death of a Dementor's bite.

It was cold and the most gut-wrenching despair was left in the aftermath of every attack. For every piece of spirit and life they took an empty void was left behind. Cat hated feeling so hollow. So much pain. But bit by bit, they took his joy, and every time another chunk was taken, Cat's mind would flash with memories of happiness and safety and warmth, only to be replaced by moments of fear and hurt and cold.

The fourth Dementor that lunged at Cat was blasted away by one of Toothless's plasma blasts, and the Dementors surrounding them scattered away, circling with shrieks and growls as they shied away from the blast and the light it cast.

With a slight reprieve, Eret crawled back towards his two charges, panting and gasping for breath. Toothless, Talia, and Cat all moved to meet him half way, pressing close to each other again as the Darkness closed in around them.

"It's been an honor, sailing with you." Talia whispered, her whole body shaking from the pain, and Eret pulled them both closer to him.

"Don't be afraid. We're in this together." He told them, glancing up as Toothless's head reached over his shoulder, his tail wrapping around all three of them.

Cat couldn't manage to say anything, not that he knew of anything to say. He just felt so much _Pain_ ; his own, the dragons', even his friends all around him. There was just so much of it, and he hated that it felt so much like Haggar's witch circle. The oppressive and suffocating power was something he wouldn't want anyone else to experience. But here they were, all of his comrades, and even his opponents, falling around him as the Darkness overtook them.

 _"There has to be something I can do,"_ His thoughts screamed as he squeezed his eyes shut, flashes of everyone he's ever cared for filling his vision. From his dad and the other berkians, to Jack, Merida, Rapunzel, and everyone at Hogwarts, to the Pirates and dragons he fought beside now. _"I just wanted... I want to protect them!"_

He breathed in slow, and wind rushed into his lungs, filling his whole body. It drove out the ice that had petrified him and warmth bloomed in his chest as more images of his loved ones flashed in his mind.

His eyes opened to slits, but went wide at what he saw. He stared at his hands, confused and at a loss for even a thought, because they were _glowing_. A soft, pale light that radiated off of his skin.

"Hiccup," His head snapped up to find Talia and Eret and Toothless all staring at him in awe. Talia's lips pulled into a smile. "You're glowing!"

"I..." Hiccup stuttered, unsure what it meant or what he was supposed to do with it, but then Toothless leaned closer to him, his eyes fixed on the sky.

 _"Your Light, it hurts them."_ Toothless said, and Hiccup followed his gaze to find that, yes, the Dementors were circling and screaming at them, but afraid to come anywhere near the Light. _"How did you do it?"_

"I don't know! I was just thinking about happy memories, I guess?" Hiccup shrugged, looking around at all of them.

"Well, keep doing that!" Eret suggested. "What's the happiest memory you got?"

"Um, you guys? They're coming back around!" Talia's voice pitched with panic and they all turned to see the Dementors grouping together, pooling their power to create one big charge of Darkness straight towards them. The lead Dementor screeched, reaching out with long, jagged nails.

Hiccup pushed himself to his feet, holding on to all of his memories and standing in front of his friends. Closing his eyes, Hiccup stepped forward and reached out a hand. For a moment his mind gave another flash and he was back in the dungeons of Hogwarts, a Nightmare charging at him, but then the Dementors hit and Light exploded from Hiccup's palm. The Dementors were deflected back with something akin to a shield of light. The Dementors pulled back again, screaming their fury, and Hiccup's arm dropped so he could stare at his hand again. And he laughed at how unbelievable it was.

He allowed his eyes to slide shut again as he focused on the _Happiness_ and _Warmth_ and _Love_ of all the good memories he held on to. He channeled all of that strength into his palms and, after a few sparks, a misty spirit began to form. Hiccup released another breath, opening his eyes and the glowing mist started to fly around him, forming a familiar shape. Hiccup directed it with his hands and when he threw his open palm out towards the Darkness, it shot off into the sky, chasing after the Dementors that fled away from it.

It was the Night Fury spirit he'd seen in his Dream. A glowing white light shaped like a Night Fury stretched out it's wings, flying across the sky. Wave after wave of Light pulsed out from where Hiccup stood, pushing back the Dementors and the Darkness.

The Dementors fled from the battlefield, scrambling to get away from the Light, and as his comrades slowly recovered from the vicious attack, cheering went up among all of the ships. Hiccup huffed and puffed as he put every last bit of strength he had into chasing the dark creatures away, and once the Light finally began to fade, it was simply replaced by warmth as Eret and Talia were both there to catch him as he fell to his knees.

"My god, Hiccup! You did it!" Talia exclaimed, her smile so big and bright. All Hiccup could do was chuckle weakly in agreement.

"You never cease to amaze me, kid." Eret said, his voice sounding a bit wobbly with all of the sheer relief coloring his tone.

Toothless simply roared a victory cry, which all of the dragons joined in on, and then he bent his head to nuzzle Hiccup's. Hiccup laughed and leaned up to return the gesture, happy to be back with his Twin-Flame and the rest of his pack.

"Captain!" No-Name ran up to them, bending over his knees as he struggled to breath, probably a mix of still trying to recover from the Dementor attack and having run up from the lower deck. "Captains! The Ministry fleet is retreating! Everyone is awaiting your orders!"

"Don't look at me! I'm tapping out guys. I'm exhausted." Hiccup piped up first, falling back against Eret and Toothless's shoulders. The others laughed and Eret looked to Talia.

"It's your call, Pirate King." He told her.

"Tell everyone to fall back. We got what we came for." Talia said without looking up at No-Name, instead she smiled at Hiccup. "I doubt the Ministry will be eager to follow after this."

"Aye-Aye, Captain!" No-Name saluted and ran off to relay the orders as Talia, Eret, and Toothless helped Hiccup up to his feet.

"Let us handle it from here. Just rest for now." Talia ordered him lightly, and Hiccup didn't really want to argue with her anyway, so he leaned heavily against Toothless as the other dragons began to take off, guarding their comrades' ships as they issued a full retreat. Meanwhile, Eret and Talia directed the pirates and the BlueBlazer crew, leading the way for the rest of their fleet.

Hiccup turned more fully into Toothless, who laid back down in a corner of the deck and wrapped his wings around his boy. Hiccup rested his head against Toothless's scales and looked up at the sky where pale sunlight was managing to break through some of the clouds, creating patches of light on the ocean surface. He sighed and pressed closer to Toothless as he listened to the crew move about the ship...

Across the battlefield, a lone Ministry vessel fled in the opposite direction of the other Ministry ships. The sails were filled with a strong wind and the small group aboard managed to handle the ship fairly well by themselves.

Percy stood by the railing, looking out at the retreating forms of the Pirate Ships, dark flying shapes hovering above them. He smiled and shook his head, sighing.

"Never seen anyone fight a Dementor and live, let alone a whole brood of them." Mr. Arrow remarked, coming up to stand next to Percy, also looking out at the fading ships in the distance. "Where do you suppose a boy like that comes from?"

"I don't know," Percy said, shrugging lightly. "But if he trusts me to deliver his message to whoever "they" are, well, we may just find out some day."

"Hmm," Arrow rumbled, and the two turned back towards their own ship, finding the paladins had also taken a moment to pause and admire the glorious sight before them.

"Where to now?" Lance asked, looking at the three older soldiers for an answer. Arrow and Shiro both looked at Percy, who took a deep breath in, relishing the salty ocean spray and the taste of freedom.

"Home."


	35. A Light to Call Home

**A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT!:** The gap between this story and the next one is going to be a bit long. I apologize for this, but unfortunately there's still a lot of drafting to do, so I'm going to need a bit more time. However, I will be adding more pieces to Moments in Magic, and possibly even making some other promotional stuff for the next book! So keep an eye out, and hopefully the wait won't be too painful! :)

* * *

 **Music:** "A Light to Call Home" by Julia Brennan

_NOTES!: "The loss is immeasurable, but so is the love left behind."_

**Chapter 35: A Light to Call Home**

They were far up North among the icebergs and snow-covered rocks. The water was unnaturally still, acting as a liquid mirror for the full moon and stars overhead. The ships were anchored in a circle, offering each other safety as they rested and tended to their wounded.

The night is quiet with only the shifting sounds of people moving and soft murmuring. No one seemed willing to break the silence. They didn't even light any lanterns, though that was more out of the lack of need. This far North the moon and stars glowed so bright in a cloudless night sky, there was no need for any other light source really.

Hiccup had woken up a few hours ago just before they decided to stop for the night. After helping with the wounded as much as Talia, Eret, and Toothless would allow, he was dragged away to a corner of the deck to rest and eat by his faithful Night Fury.

Now Hiccup sat with an empty bowl at his side, staring at his left hand. He hadn't yet found new bandaging to cover it again, so the black scales were on full display. He remembered how they reflected and shimmered in the glowing light during the battle, and he remembered the spirit he'd guided and directed with that very hand.

Toothless nudged his shoulder, giving him a knowing look. Hiccup gave a small smile in return and then took a deep breath, pushing himself up onto his feet. He took a few steps away from Toothless, just to be safe, and closed his eyes as he concentrated; trying to remembering the feeling he had during those few moments he'd been faced with hundreds of Dementors.

"You weren't that tense." Hiccup opened his eyes and blinked, finding Talia standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. She gave him a half-smile. "Your face is all scrunched up and your shoulders are practically up to your ears! You were way more relaxed when you fought off the Dementors."

"'Fought Off' is a very strong term. It was more like desperate fumbling with strange magic." Hiccup muttered, his cheeks on the warmer side as he scratched the back of his head.

"Whatever it was, if you want to do it again, you're going to need to relax." Talia told him, watching him expectantly. Eret and a few others were also looking over in his direction.

Hiccup sighed, letting his arm fall back to his side and his eyes slide closed. He did as Talia said, forcing his shoulders and face to lose the tension, and thought back to that moment, all of the thoughts and images that had been rushing through his head at the time. Familiar faces, moments, Feelings, rushed through his mind and his heart gave a pleasant squeeze. Warmth spread through him.

He opened his eyes and his hands were _glowing_ again. A soft, pale light that matched the full moon above. His heart started racing and his breathing shuttered like it did the first time he ever flew.

He looked up at Talia, and she was smiling too, her eyes filled with awe. Eret stepped up beside her, smiling, and though he looked amazed, he didn't look surprised. Something that Hiccup couldn't even fathom because he couldn't understand any of this.

"H-how is this even possible?" He whispered, his shoulders weighing heavy and his eyes swelling. "I don't get it... After everything..."

His hands shook and the light wavered as he thought about all the horrible things that has happened since the night he left Hogwarts. All of the things he's been told about what he is, and all the things he believed about himself... This light was... _Good_. But it didn't make sense. He was Wild. A Dragon Boy. _Different_.

"Hiccup," Talia said, and a gentle hand on his shoulder brought his eyes up to meet her's. "Don't you get it?" Her voice was soft and a little thick. "It's _You_ , Hiccup. This is your Center."

All other sound fell away at her words and his whole being froze as those words washed over him. He stared at her, unable to comprehend it for a few moments, and then the corners of his mouth tipped up on their own accord, his cheeks burned as tears spilled over, and his heart started beating twice as fast.

"I'm _Light_!" Hiccup gasped, his cheeks hurting as his smile turned to a grin. Talia beamed back at him, and Eret gave a nod of encouragement.

Something was building in Hiccup's chest, warm and bright, and a laugh bubbled out of him as he took a step, well, more of a skip and then a few steps, backwards. He looked down at his hands, and then inhaled deeply, allowing his eyes to slide shut as he let go of all of that tightly kept control.

Mist-like light swirled around his hands, and when he opened his eyes, they shot upwards, following the light as it flew up so high and then burst into a million colors across the sky. Hiccup's jaw dropped open as he looked all around at the fire filling the sky in beautiful greens and blues and reds and pinks and everything in between. Big waves of light that filled the sky, reflected perfectly by the strangely still water, and all of his comrades stopped what they were doing, looking up at the sky, pointing and calling out in wonder.

"It's amazing!" Eret breathed, staring up at the light. "I've never seen anything like it!"

Streams of light dropped lower, and Talia jumped up, letting her fingers brush through the sparkling clouds. Some of the light split off from the rest, swirling around her and turning red-gold. Hiccup watched the vague form of a different spirit, one that he could sense belonged entirely to Talia.

Before it could solidify, though, it went spinning away to rejoin the other colors, merging into the warmer shades easily. Hiccup watched it all as his whole body tingled with surging magic. Another bubble of laughter escaped him as he skipped into a ran, throwing himself over the railing the ship. His foot and prosthetic hit the surface of the surface of the water, but didn't sink. Ripples extended out from each step, but he walked across it as if he were walking on a giant mirror.

Hiccup grinned and spun around, looking at it all around him, and then ran out to meet those streams of light, throwing his hand up like Talia to see what it felt like. A million colors rushed through his fingers, but he slipped on the water and nearly fell, but managed to catch himself on the slippery surface. The light came back and swirled around him, spinning him in a circle as if he were on ice skates, and then speeding off into the sky where that giant river of light continued to slowly weave across the stars.

A roar echoed out, and Hiccup whirled to find Toothless looking at him eagerly from the ship. Hiccup beamed and started running towards him as Toothless leaped over the railing and glided over. Hiccup jumped and grabbed onto the saddle, swinging onto Toothless's back as he continued gliding along the waters surface, and then once his prosthetic locked into place, they shot up into the sky on powerful wings with a rush of adrenaline.

Toothless flew straight into that misty light, and Hiccup looked at it all, still unable to believe it. The other dragons followed quickly, all of them wanting to fly through and along that rolling river in the sky, and Hiccup admired all of the colors.

His eyes fixed on one spot right beside them as the light solidified a bit more to form a shape within the river, and Hiccup gasped a little when he saw the Night Fury spirit again. It looked at him, trilled, and then disappeared into the mist without a trace. Hiccup looked to see if Toothless or any of the other dragons had seen it, but they were all enjoying the cold air and bright night.

They flew about, twisting and turning, and as they looped around back to the ship, Hiccup spotted Talia and Eret waving up at him excitedly. He patted Toothless's side and they angled down towards the ship. Toothless leaped onto the ship, and Hiccup jumped out of the saddle, running over to Eret and Talia who welcomed him with wide grins. The others quickly moved to join them, patting him on the back and raising cheers for him.

Hiccup stood with them, accepting the warmth and enjoying the ache of his cheeks as he smiled.

* * *

Hogwarts was unusually quiet with pale sunlight peeking through the thick light grey clouds. People were all over the place, but every sound seemed hushed and everyone's eyes were stained with worry.

But the first thing Emma noticed when she woke up was that she was in the hospital wing. Her mother was in a chair next to her bed, eyes filled with tears of worry, and Jack stood behind her, looking as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Oh, Emma!" Matilda cried, grasping her hand tightly, and Emma tried to sit up to reassure her everything was fine, but she got dizzy and her vision went fuzzy.

"Careful now!" Dr. Sweet appeared on Emma's other side with Rapunzel, and he put a hand on her arm and the other on her back to help her sit up. "You shouldn't push yourself. You've been through a lot."

"Where are we?" Emma asked, rubbing her eye to try and clear it, but then the memories came rushing back and her shoulders tensed. Her head snapped to Jack and then to Rapunzel, looking at the faces for answers. "What happened to the Moor?!"

"Calm down, Emma. You need rest, not stress." Rapunzel said, raising her hands in a calming gesture, but Emma's eyes fixed on the new markings that covered her hands and arms. Then Emma noticed Rapunzel's hair... Her golden and very, very, very long hair.

"Uh..." Emma responded oh-so-brilliantly, her eyes flicking up and down Rapunzel's form.

"Oh, right, _that_!" Rapunzel smiled and chuckled nervously, her hand instinctively pulling on a lock of hair.

"The Moor is safe, Emma. You've been unconscious for a week. We don't know exactly what happened, but at the last moment the Moor's Light managed to overcome the shadows and push them back. It's safe, but there's a lot of damage left behind..." Jack cut in, putting most of Emma's questions to rest for now. "Oh, and Rapunzel became a Sorceress." He added.

"That's not really an After Thought kind of thing!" Emma told him, but he only shrugged.

"All that aside," Dr. Sweet cleared his throat, giving both Jack and Rapunzel pointed looks. "My main concern right now is Emma." He said, turning his eyes down to her. "Your external injuries were fairly minor, but I'm afraid there's been extensive damage to your Magic... Based on your injuries, I believe you were attacked with a Fearling Curse; a spell that Pitch Black used to turn people into mindless and soulless slaves. But you somehow escaped with your mind and soul intact. Quite frankly, if it was the Fearling Curse, it's a medical miracle..." Dr. Sweet trailed off, his gaze shifting away from Emma.

"But?" Emma murmured, nodding for the doctor to continue on. He sighed and then met her gaze, handing her a hand mirror.

"I'm afraid that a Fearling Curse destroys all essence of the subject; starting with their magic." Dr. Sweet told her. "I'm sorry, Emma. But your magic is gone."

Emma inhaled a shaky, but slow breath. She knew more than Sweet did, she knew that. She knew this was the only way for Cat to protect her. But it was still hard to hear it. Hard to look in the mirror and see sunken cheeks and dark circles under her eyes. Too-pale, grey-ish skin and matted grey hair.

"There's really nothing you can do?" Matilda asked him, her free hand reaching up to smooth Emma's hair.

"No one has ever survived a Fearling Curse, which means that no one has ever gotten their magic back either." Dr. Sweet informed them. "But it also means that maybe if you defied the impossible once, we can find a way to do it again." He smiled down at Emma again. "For now you seem stable, so I'm going to allow you to go to your family's rooms in the castle, but I want you to come see me on the daily so I can check up on you. And I promise, we'll keep working towards a cure."

"Thank you," Emma said. She knew his efforts would be in vain, but she did appreciate the thought and heart behind it.

Before anyone could say anything else, there was some loud shouting outside and the sound of people running through the corridor outside. Squinting at the window, Jack floated over and peered out.

"What the hell is going on out there?" He wondered out loud, though he turned back to them and shrugged, unable to see anything.

Suddenly the doors to the hospital wing were shoved open, and Merida stood there, panting a little, and see looked at each of them for a moment as though trying to find the right words.

"I think you should all come see this!" She exclaimed.

Jack and Rapunzel were right on Merida's heels as she led the way down towards the main courtyard. Emma followed behind, supported by hanging onto her mother's arm as she looked worriedly over her daughter. It had taken a bit of convincing to get her to let Emma out of bed, but the young girl was too curious to get left behind.

They made it out to the main entrance of the castle, staying in the shadows of the grand door, but Jack was already out in the courtyard, standing there frozen. A massive crowd of students and teachers had gathered around the sides, and the Guardians stood with a group of people at the center. They were all dressed in filthy rag-like clothes and dirt was smudged on their faces, arms, and legs. Emma recognized one man as Mr. Arrow, the Auror who had gone missing last year, and she also knew five of them to be very important Wizards from a distant land called Altea.

The last one was a man with youthful eyes, an easy smile, and long snow-white hair tied into a low ponytail. He held a Staff with a crystal on top and He looked like an older, more tired version of Jack. He stood there, staring at Jack in wonder with glassy eyes.

"Jack?" The man whispered.

"It's you..." Jack said, his voice thick with tears and his shoulders raised up and down a little bit with every shallow breath he was taking. " _Dad?_ "

The man took a step forward, and Jack flew towards him. Jack crashed into the man, burying his head on the man's shoulder, and the man wrapped Jack in such a tight hug, Emma wondered if his ribs creaked.

"My god," Matilda's quiet gasp brought Emma's eyes up to her, and she found her mother covering her mouth as tears streamed from her eyes, watching Jack and the man. Matilda took a step forward, turning back a moment to make sure Emma could stand on her own, to which Emma nodded and motioned her to go on. Matilda turned to the man again and, on shaking legs, walked out into the sunlight of the courtyard. "Percy?"

Jack and the man finally broke their hug. Jack's cheeks were stained with tears, and the man, Percy, looked at her mother with such a soft and yet sorrowful look, Emma found her own heart aching a little from the sight of it.

"Molly, I-" He started, taking a step towards her.

" _Don't_!" Matilda snapped suddenly, another wave of tears pouring down her face as shock was replaced with anger. "Don't you _Dare_! It's been _Eleven Years_! And suddenly you show up with your blasted handsome smile and your charming voice! I've had to raise Jack and Emma by myself all this time! What happened?! _Where have you been?!_ " Matilda shouted, stalking over to Percy, who stood head and shoulders taller than her but winced at the fury written across her face. It just disappeared, though. After a moment, all of the fight drained Matilda's body and she looked at him with such heartbreak. "They said you were dead. They said you were never coming home. I didn't know what to think, or what to tell the children..." Her voice broke and she sniffed, her hands clutched at her chest.

Percy didn't say anything, but there was pain in his eyes as he grabbed Matilda and hugged her tightly to him similarly as he had with Jack. Matilda sobbed into his chest and wrapped her arms around him as Percy stroked her hair gently. He pulled back after a moment, though, cupping her face in his hands and looking her straight in the eyes.

"I am so sorry I put you through that. I am sorry that I wasn't there for you or our children. And I'm sorry that I can never make up for everything we've lost. But you have to know that it was _Never_ my choice to stay away, and I thought of you every day, dreaming of seeing you again. I would've given anything to come home to you." Percy swore, his own tears spilling over a bit as Matilda softly pressed her face into his hand, though there was still hurt on her face.

"...I would've given anything to bring you home." She whispered after a long moment. Percy smiled a little at that, and opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated, and then started again.

"May I kiss you?" He asked, his gaze nervous and wary, and Emma guessed it was to be expected. It had been eleven years. Another woman might have moved on and found another, but her mother had never shown any interest in trying to find love again.

"You're a reckless, foolish man!" Matilda snapped, pulling her face out of his hands, but then she grabbed two fistfuls of his ragged shirt and yanked him down to her in a lip-lock.

"Go, Mom!" Emma chuckled as Jack beamed at them and the entire courtyard went up in cheers. The loudest cheering came from the men who had arrived with Percy and Bunnymund. When they broke from their kiss, they were both smiling, and their cheeks were stained with dried tears.

"Will you take me back? Can we be a family together again?" Percy asked, and Matilda just nodded, her smile getting wider. They pressed their foreheads together, and then Matilda stepped back, holding onto his hand, and he gave her the softest look Emma had ever seen.

Emma grunted at a sharp pushed from behind and looked back to see Merida and Rapunzel nodding at her and encouraging. Emma looked back at her mom to find her, Jack, and the man that was apparently her long-lost father standing there, looking at her. Emma bit her lip a little and rubbed her arm, not really sure what to do.

Percy looked at her though, and then looked at Matilda. "Is that...?" He asked quietly, and Matilda nodded.

"The Great Moor was attacked by Pitch Black," She explained, shocking not only Percy, but the other refugees as well, considering the expletives that followed her announcement. "Emma was hurt during the battle." The tears nearly came back, but she quickly blinked them away, squeezing Percy's hand tight.

Percy returned the gesture, but then slowly let go, walking towards Emma. She fidgeted more as he got closer, and then he knelt down in front of her. He offered his hand out to her, surprising her.

"Hello. You probably don't remember me at all, but I would love to know you, if you'd allow it." He said, and Emma looked up at his face. His expression was so open and honest, and there was a deep, instinctual love there that made Emma's eyes water a little.

She ignored his hand and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight.

"I wanna know you too... Dad." She murmured to him, and when he wrapped his arms around her, Emma determined she'd been missing out her entire life because either Percy himself gave fantastic hugs, or a father's hug in general was just one of the greatest things. Either way, she was happy to have it now.

Matilda and Jack hurried over as Percy pulled back, and the four huddled close in a big group hug on the ground. Someone cleared their throat, breaking the moment, and Emma could feel Percy stiffen, his hand curling tightly around his staff. Looking up, Emma found the Prime Minister standing there with Lady Tremaine just behind him. Glancing at her father, Emma could see a tight jaw and a carefully neutral expression.

"Welcome home, Mr. Frost. I must say, I never thought I'd see you here again." The Prime Minister enunciated slowly, not taking his eyes off of Percy.

"Well, I've been told I can be quite stubborn when I choose to be." Percy replied coolly.

"A trait you've apparently passed onto your daughter... As I'm told by Lady Tremaine, of course." Frollo said plainly, and Percy used the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders to pull her just a little closer. "Perhaps if you both practiced a little more caution, such harmful and drastic occurrences wouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you, for you concern, but I promise you, Prime Minister. I don't intend to act recklessly." Percy promised, offering a smile that sent a shiver down Emma's spine.

The other refugees drew closer to them at this point, and though Emma couldn't see them very well over her dad's shoulder, she was starting to get suspicious about them and their relationship to the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister lifted his head and, without a word, turned and left with Tremaine chasing after him. Emma glanced around, seeing a bit of confusion on her mother and Jack's faces, but for the most part they were happy to follow Percy's lead in focusing back on their family.

"Alright, that's enough hugging for now!" Bunnymund cut in. "The lot of you should go see Sweet! He'll fix you up while the elves get some food for you. Play catch-up later after you've settled in a bit!"

"Since when are you so grumpy and bossy?" Percy demanded, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Since the responsible one of us decided to drop off the face of the earth for eleven years!" Bunnymund retorted.

"Oh, lighten up, Bunny!" Tooth giggled, nudging his arm and grinning at Percy. "He just doesn't want to admit that he missed you!"

"Aww, is that true Bunny?" Percy asked.

"Like a cramp in my ass!"

"Okay, okay! Bunny is right! We should get you all cleaned up and settled, and then we celebrate!" North exclaimed, clapping Percy's shoulder as he stood, helping Matilda up. "And maybe during party you can tell us the full story of what happened, yes?"

"I'll tell you everything you need to know, but I'm more interested in hearing about what's been happening here. Pitch Black is back?" Percy looked at North.

"Unfortunately, yes." North nodded gravely. "We will discuss more over dinner. First get cleaned up, relax. You are home."

"Yeah." Percy smiled, squeezing Matilda's hand and looking at Emma and then Jack. "It's good to be home."

Everyone slowly began making their way inside the castle. Emma smiled, watching her family go inside, the Guardians and the other refugees following. The crowds dispersed, and within a few moments the courtyard was left empty, but a small hoot brought Emma's attention upward.

A small, brown pygmy owl flapped it's way down from one of the ledges above the main door, and Emma lifted her arm for it to perch on her. She smiled at the tiny thing and gave it's head a little scratch before retrieving the small note tied to his leg.

"It's been a while, Pipsqueak." She remarked, and the owl gave another little hoot. She opened the slip of paper, and smiled at the contents.

_"I hope Percy and the others made it home alright. I'm giving you Pipsqueak so that if anything happens, you can reach me. Stay safe." -C._

Emma tucked the slip of paper into her skirt pocket and then turned to Pipsqueak. She gave his chin a scratch, and then she pushed her arm up, giving him a boost as he fluttered into the air, flying off into the sky.


	36. Next Stop Anywhere

**Music:** "Next Stop Anywhere (Reprise)" from Tangled: The Series

_NOTES!: "I wish all your Dreams come True, but keep in mind that Nightmares are Dreams too."_

**Epilogue: Next Stop Anywhere**

* * *

The final days of that year rushed by in a blur for Rapunzel from returning to Hogwarts, to Jack's dad returning home suddenly, to even the final announcements of the tournament. Rapunzel was honored to be named Champion and receive the Tri-Wizard Cup. Her classmates and friends were ecstatic, and her fellow champions congratulated her and celebrated her victory with her. Though it was short lived as, in the wake of what happened at the Moor, a decision was made that there would soon be a gathering of the Leaders of all the Allied Kingdoms to discuss their official declaration of war.

Exams passed in a flash, and soon the students of the other schools were already preparing to leave, bringing many goodbyes. Though, Rapunzel was secretly excited to witness one particular goodbye by coincidence. She'd been saying farewell to Jim, and making an offer to him as well, when it all happened.

"Thank you again, for all of your help during the battle at the Moor." Rapunzel said to the Trolls; Blinky, AAARRRGH!, and Draal. They were standing in a side courtyard above the docks with a few other groups of students as the teachers tried to organize them all.

"Twas our honor, your Highness!" Blinky bowed deeply.

"We look forward to fighting alongside you and the Guardians in the near future." Draal thumped his fist against his chest.

"Likewise! We're happy to have you in the fight." Rapunzel nodded, grateful that they were eager to help in any way they could.

"Whoa, hey, dude, look!" Toby suddenly exclaimed, shaking Jim's arm and pointing towards a door that led into the castle.

All of them looked to see what had Toby so excited, and Rapunzel smiled, seeing that it was Emma. The girl was walking stronger on her own now, though her appearance hadn't changed; an affect of the Fearling Curse according to Dr. Sweet.

"Emma!" Jim beamed, and the two boys raced over to meet her halfway. They clashed in a big group hug, and Emma laughed. When they pulled away, Emma was the first to speak.

"I'm glad I could catch you before you left. I wanted to thank you both for the bag of sweets." She smiled at them.

"We would've brought it to you ourselves, but they wouldn't let us in to see you! And then Vendel wanted to talk to us about what happened at the Moor." Toby told her. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah... I'll be just fine." Emma nodded, forcing another smile.

"Well, you know, because of everything that's happening, they're saying that our schools will come here next year too. You know, extra safety and helping out with the war efforts. Not the greatest circumstances, but at least we'll have each other, right?" Jim said, obviously noticing something off in Emma's behavior. "And, since we both have magic compatible with Sunlight, Rapunzel's asked me to train as her apprentice. So, maybe we can practice together too?" He asked her hopefully, and Rapunzel winced.

"Oh... No, that's... That's wonderful! Jim... It's just..." Emma sighed and let her eyes fall to the ground. "When I got hurt, it kind of... I don't have magic anymore."

"What?" Jim's eyes went wide and Toby's hands ran through his hair.

"But you love magic!" Toby cried out.

"Isn't there some way to fix it? To get it back?" Jim wanted to know, but Emma was already shaking her head.

"There's no cure. Dr. Sweet says he'll keep looking for one, but it's a miracle that I survived. I don't think I'm lucky enough to get a second one." Emma explained to them.

"Oh, dear, this is all our fault! If we hadn't left you alone to fight Nomura, none of this would have happened!" Blinky frowned, guilt weighing down his shoulders.

"Now stop that! It was my choice and I told you to go! You shouldn't be blaming yourselves for anything." Emma scolded him, but then she smiled at all of them. "You've been the best friends I've ever had, and even if I don't have magic anymore, I still wanna do everything I can to help you."

The memory made Rapunzel smile because of how sweet they all were. Their friendship reminded her of her own, and she hoped they'd stick together through the hard times ahead. Rapunzel was pulled out of her musings when she reached her destination though: North's office.

She entered without any trouble and found everyone already there waiting for her with the addition of Eugene and a man that Rapunzel had only ever seen in books and heard about in legends.

Tsar Lunar, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Wise Council of the Guardians, and the Man in the Moon. He was short and bald and pale. He had an pleasant smile and a gentle, soothing voice.

"Ah, And you must be Rapunzel! Our Sun Sorceress!" Tsar grinned brightly at her, and Rapunzel felt heat rush across her cheeks.

"Manny has come to speak with you." North told her softly, and Tsar nodded.

"There are matters of utmost importance that must be discussed." He announced.

"Well, let's get started then!" Merida said, and Tsar chuckled.

"I like the attitude! Come around children!" Tsar lead them around North's desk, and Rapunzel gasped at seeing the parchment unrolled on it. The writing was ancient, so she couldn't read it, but Rapunzel definitely recognized the image of the sundrop and the flower it turned into. Next to it, was a similar illustration, but with the moon, and at the bottom were sharp, jagged stones.

"This tapestry tells the story of the Sun Flower and the Moon Stone." Manny told them. "The Sun and Moon are the two most powerful sources of magic in all the world. The drops of light sent to our world created manifestations of that power on the earth. The flower that saved your mother," Manny nodded to Rapunzel. "And the Moon Stone, which is said to lay in a dark kingdom."

"Okay, but what's so important about all this? We already know Rapunzel's got the power of the Sundrop." Jack pointed out.

"Yes, but no one holds the power of the Moon Stone." Manny replied, and then he sighed. "You see, I am only a talented mage. My reasoning for living in the moon is that I cannot control it's power without being that close to it, but now I find it rejecting me entirely. The Moon's magic is being corrupted by the excessive amounts of dark magic in the world, and I believe it may be happening through the unattended Moon Stone."

"Well, that doesn't sound good." Merida muttered.

"You're right, it's not. I'm doing my best to reign in the Moon's power, but I'm simply not strong enough. No one was, until..." Manny looked over to Rapunzel, and she felt her heart leap into her chest.

"Me? You think I can control the Moon?" Rapunzel asked.

"As the Sorceress of the Sun, you are the _Only_ one with the power to control the Moon's power and stop it from destroy this world. I've done my best, but it's stones have already caused damage to three small villages within the Allied Kingdoms." Manny explained gravely. "I can't say I have all the answers, the Sun and Moon are still a great mystery to us, but after witnessing the battle of the Moor, I have no doubt that only you can wield the Moon Stone. You must go to the Dark Kingdom and retrieve the Stone. If the Moon becomes corrupted, then fighting Pitch at all will be meaningless. He'll be unstoppable."

"Are you sure this is the best idea? I just became a Sorceress a few days ago. I'm still trying to figure out how to not randomly grow plants and cause rainbows in the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling!" Rapunzel bit her lip, uncertain.

"I know that Destiny can be a hard and scary thing to face, but I have full faith in you. I have been watching over all of you since the beginning, and I know that you are capable of Great Things." Tsar Lunar smiled at Rapunzel, and she felt her chest warm with pride.

A hand fell on her shoulder and Rapunzel looked up to her side. Eugene smiled back at her. "So when do we leave?"

"You're coming with me?" Rapunzel inquired.

"Of course! Can't let you have all the fun saving the world from Darkness and all." Eugene grinned, and Rapunzel laughed.

"Count me in too!" Merida declared, bow in one hand and the other rest on her hip. Jack stood beside her and nodded, each of them looking determined.

"Jack, your family! Your dad only just came back..." Rapunzel worried.

"And he'll be here when we get back. You're not getting rid of us that easy!" Jack snorted, and Percy, who stood with the other Guardians, nodded with pride.

"You kids can go ahead and find the Stone. We'll stay here and prepare for the fight ahead." Percy encouraged them.

Rapunzel looked at each of them, seeing the determination they had to stand by her and the faith they had in her to accomplish something so... impossible. She wasn't about to give up without even trying.

"When do we leave?"

* * *

Miles across the sea, a Night Fury and his boy flew away from an island not marked on most maps. Talia stood on the balcony of the main structure, watching the construction of Dragon's Edge with satisfaction. Eret stepped up beside her, looking out at the horizon and the late afternoon sun.

"He go off flying again?" He asked.

"Of course he did! You tell the little shit he's on mandatory leave for bed-rest and he spends every single day of it rushing out into dangerous flying maneuvers and island explorations!" Talia rolled her eyes, but there wasn't much fire in her words. She'd ordered the bed-rest more out of concern for Cat's mental health after escaping Azkaban rather than his physical health, which they all knew was perfectly fine thanks to fast-healing magic.

"He'll be fine." Eret chuckled, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Construction is all going according to plan. The Dragon's Edge Sanctuary should be fully operational within a week."

"Excellent. As soon as it's ready, I want to send out word to the others that this Sanctuary is going to be our base." Talia said, and Eret nodded. "Any word on those ships your scouts spotted a few days ago?"

"Dragon Hunter ships. They could prove to be a problem, especially if Cat finds out about them, but they were far off from here and we haven't seen any more." Eret reported with a shrug.

"I trust you. Just keep me informed, and make sure our scouts are being extra careful to keep our location a secret." Talia agreed. "Besides the essentials, everyone should be resting. It was a hard fight, and there might be another coming, so I want everyone to enjoy the peace while they can."

She looked out towards the slowly setting sun where she could just make out the small black dot of a Night Fury in the distance.

* * *

Far, far up north, where the ocean was frozen over with thick ice and islands were replaced by piles of snow, there was a dark cavern, filled with an armada. Down on the lead ship, a very large figure, draped in a dark cloak, stood watching over his subordinates work. He growled at anyone who drew close to him and snarled at any dragon that was particularly defiant.

Suddenly, his head snapped towards the sky, eyes focused with a hunting intent. He glared at the clouds with a low growl rumbling in his throat, but a sick smile twisted across his lips as he looked South-West.

It was faint, but he could sense magic. Not quite Human, not quite Dragon.

"Finally," He rumbled.

* * *

_Jack, Merida, Rapunzel, Hiccup, Toothless, and all their friends will all return in:_

**War of Destiny - December 25th, 2020**

_"I won't fight you," He said, still not lifting his head so Jack could see his face._

_"Yeah? And why not?!" Jack snapped, his grip on his staff getting even tighter as he started getting angrier._

_"I can't... I won't." He replied, finally lifting his head._

_Jack gasped, nearly dropping his staff as he took a few steps back, as if he'd been slapped. His heart was pounding, his ears were ringing, and his throat felt tight. He didn't know what to do, or how to respond, so he just stared and whispered one word._

_"Hiccup?"_


End file.
